Euchrysops barkeri


Euchrysops barkeri, the Barker's smoky blue or Barker's Cupid, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae.

Description

The wingspan is 26–32 mm for males and 27–33 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round, but are most common from November to July in South Africa.

Habitat and behavior

It is found in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and from Sierra Leone to Tanzania. In South Africa it is found from the East Cape along the KwaZulu-Natal coast and in Limpopo province.

Life cycle

The female oviposits at the stem of Sphenostylis angustifolia. The egg is pale sky-blue with a sparkling pearlescent lustre.
The larvae feed on Crotalaria and Rhynchosia species and Vigna unguiculata.