Aloeides, commonly called coppers, is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. Most can be found in South Africa (49 species), but a few species occur as far north as Kenya (8 species).
General Description The butterflies of this genus inhabit grassy areas with bare patches, such as grassy fynbos in the western and eastern cape, or highvield grasslands in other provinces.
Aloeidis males exhibit territorial behavior, claiming specific areas on road verges and unsurfaced roads where they can counter females and mate.
These butterflies of this genus are observed to have a preference for host Apalathus plants, except Aloeides pallida.
Aloeides butterflies are polyphagous, recorded to have been feeding on six plant species from four families. Ant species Monomorium fridae and Lepisiota capensis act as larval hosts, in an obligate dependence association.
Species Listed alphabetically within groups.Tite & Dickson; The Genus Aloeides and allied genera (Lycaenidae), Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 29:, pages 225-280 (1973)
The "thyra" species group: Aloeides apicalis Tite & Dickson, 1968 – pointed copper Aloeides arida Tite & Dickson, 1968 – arid copper Aloeides bamptoni Tite & Dickson, 1977 – Brampton's copper Aloeides braueri Tite & Dickson, 1968 – Brauer's copper Aloeides caledoni Tite & Dickson, 1973 – Caledon copper Aloeides clarki Tite & Dickson, 1968 – Coega copper Aloeides dentatis (Swierstra, 1909) – Roodepoort copper Aloeides depicta Tite & Dickson, 1968 – depicta copper Aloeides dryas Tite & Dickson, 1968 – Transvaal copper Aloeides egerides Tite & Dickson, 1968 – Red Hill copper Aloeides gowani Tite & Dickson, 1968 – Gowan's copper Aloeides juana Tite & Dickson, 1968 – Juana copper Aloeides kaplani Tite & Dickson, 1977 – Kaplan's copper Aloeides lutescens Tite & Dickson, 1968 – Worcester copper Aloeides margaretae Tite & Dickson, 1968 – Marguarite's copper Aloeides nollothi Tite & Dickson, 1977 – Nolloth's copper Aloeides oreas Tite & Dickson, 1968 – Oreas copper Aloeides pallida Tite & Dickson, 1968 – giant copper Aloeides penningtoni Tite & Dickson, 1968 – Pennington's copper Aloeides pringlei Tite & Dickson, 1976 – Pringle's copper Aloeides quickelbergei Tite & Dickson, 1968 – Quickelberge's copper Aloeides rileyi Tite & Dickson, 1976 – Riley's copper Aloeides simplex (Trimen, 1893) – dune copper Aloeides thyra (Linnaeus, 1764) – red copper Aloeides vansoni Tite & Dickson, 1968 – Van Son's copper unnamed species group A: Aloeides almeida (C. Felder, 1862) – Almeida copper Aloeides aranda (Wallengren, 1857) – Aranda copper Aloeides barklyi (Trimen, 1874) – Barkly's copper Aloeides conradsi (Aurivillius, 1907) – Conrad's copper Aloeides damarensis (Trimen, 1891) – Damara copper Aloeides griseus Riley, 1921 Aloeides henningi Tite & Dickson, 1973 – Henning's copper Aloeides macmasteri Tite & Dickson, 1973 – McMaster's copper Aloeides molomo (Trimen, 1870) – molomo copper Aloeides pierus (Cramer, ) – dull copper Aloeides plowesi Tite & Dickson, 1973 – Plowes' copper Aloeides stevensoni Tite & Dickson, 1973 – Stevenson's copper Aloeides susanae Tite & Dickson, 1973 – Susan's copper Aloeides swanepoeli Tite & Dickson, 1973 – Swanepoel's copper Aloeides taikosama (Wallengren, 1857) – dusky copper Aloeides trimeni Tite & Dickson, 1973 – Trimen's copper unnamed species group B: Aloeides angolensis Tite & Dickson, 1973 Aloeides argenteus Henning & Henning, 1994 – silvery copper Aloeides barbarae Henning & Henning, 1994 – Barbara's copper Aloeides caffrariae Henning, 1987 – border copper Aloeides carolynnae Dickson, 1983 – Carolynn's copper Aloeides dicksoni Henning, 1987 – Dickson's copper Aloeides maluti Pringle, 1983 – Maluti copper Aloeides mbuluensis Pringle, 1994 – Mbulu copper Aloeides merces Henning & Henning, 1986 – Wakkerstroom copper Aloeides monticola Pringle, 1994 – Cederberg copper Aloeides mullini Henning & Henning, 1996 – Mullin's copper Aloeides namibiensis Henning & Henning, 1994 – Namibia copper Aloeides nubilus Henning & Henning, 1982 – cloud copper Aloeides rossouwi Henning & Henning, 1982 – Rossouw's copper Aloeides tearei Henning & Henning, 1982 – Teare's copper Aloeides titei Henning, 1987 – Tite's copper
References
External links