Aloeides thyra

Aloeides thyra, the red copper, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in the Western Cape, South Africa.

Red copper
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Aloeides
Species:	A. thyra
Binomial name
Aloeides thyra (Linnaeus, 1764)[1]
Synonyms
Papilio thyra Linnaeus, 1764 Papilio nycetus Stoll, 1781 Papilio euadrus Fabricius, 1787

The wingspan is 22–26 mm for males and 24–28 mm females. Adults are on wing from July to April with peaks in October and February. There are several generations per year through the warmer months.^[2]

The larvae feed on Aspalathus acuminata, A. laricifolia and A. cymbiformis. The larvae are attended to by Lepisiota capensis ants.

Subspecies

• Aloeides thyra thyra (Cape Peninsula, north-west to Lambert's Bay and east to Matjiesfontein)
• Aloeides thyra orientis Pringle, 1994 (Stilbaai to Knysna in the Western Cape)