Cigaritis natalensis

Cigaritis natalensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Cigaritis
Species:	C. natalensis
Binomial name
Cigaritis natalensis (Westwood, 1851)[1]
Synonyms
Aphnaeus natalensis Westwood, 1851 Amblypodia natalensis Westwood, 1852 Spindasis masilikazi Wallengren, 1857 Spindasis natalensis

The Natal Bar or Natal Barred Blue (Cigaritis natalensis) is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in South Africa, from the East Cape along the coast to KwaZulu-Natal, Swaziland, the Orange Free State, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, the Limpopo Province, the North West Province and part of the North Cape. It is also present in Botswana.

The wingspan is 25-32.5 mm for males and 26.5-34 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round with peaks from September to October and from March to May^[2].

The larvae feed on Canthium inerme, Clerodendron glabrum and Ximenia caffra.

References

1. ^ Cigaritis, Site of Markku Savela
2. ^ Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.