Eicochrysops messapus

Eicochrysops messapus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Eicochrysops
Species:	E. messapus
Binomial name
Eicochrysops messapus (Godart, [1824])[1]
Synonyms
Polyommatus messapus Godart, [1824] Cupido sapphirina Stoneham, 1938

The Cupreous Blue (Eicochrysops messapus) is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in Africa. In South Africa it is rare and only known from the northern part of the Limpopo Province and northern KwaZulu-Natal.

The wingspan is 17-22 mm for males and 17-24 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round in warmer area, with peaks in October and March. In cooler areas it is not found from April to September^[2]

The larvae probably feed on Thesium species.

Subspecies

• Eicochrysops messapus messapus (West Cape to Orange Free State)
• Eicochrysops messapus sebagadis (Guérin-Méneville, 1849) (Ethiopia)
• Eicochrysops messapus mahallakoaena (Wallengren, 1857) (northern East Cape to KwaZulu-Natal, northern Orange Free State, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, the Limpopo Province and the North West Province)
• Eicochrysops messapus nandiana (Bethune-Baker, 1906) (Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia)

References

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