Cupidopsis iobates

Cupidopsis iobates
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Cupidopsis
Species:	C. iobates
Binomial name
Cupidopsis iobates (Hopffer, 1855)[1]
Synonyms
Lycaena jobates Hopffer, 1855 Cupidopsis mauritanica Riley, 1932 Cupidopsis jobates

The Tailed Meadow Blue (Cupidopsis iobates) is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in most of Africa, south of the Sahara.

The wingspan is 23-30 mm for males and 26-33 mm for females. Adults are on wing from September to April and May and sometimes in June and July in subtropical areas.^[2]

The larvae feed on the flowers of low-growing grassland Fabaceae species, including Rhynchosia puberula.

Subspecies

• Cupidopsis iobates iobates (from Kenya and Uganda to the Cape, Angola, Zaire, Togo, Benin, Guinea, Madagascar)
• Cupidopsis iobates uranochroa Ungemach, 1932 (Ethiopia)
• Cupidopsis iobates mauritanica Riley, 1932 (Mauritania, Senegal)

References

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