Trimenia malagrida

Trimenia malagrida
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Trimenia
Species:	T. malagrida
Binomial name
Trimenia malagrida (Wallengren, 1857)[1]
Synonyms
Cigaritis malagrida Wallengren, 1857 Argyrocupha malagrida Zeritis aglaspis Trimen, 1862 Argyrocupha malagrida cedrusmontana Dickson & Stephen, 1975 Argyrocupha malagrida maryae Dickson & Henning, 1980 Phasis malagrida paarlensis Dickson, 1967 Argyrocupha malagrida paarlensis

The Scarce Mountain Copper (Trimenia malagrida) is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in South Africa, where it is found from Beaufort West to the Roggeveld escarpment in the West Cape.

The wingspan is 24–29 mm for males and 29–33 mm females. Adults are on wing from late January to March. There is one generation per year.^[2]

The larvae of ssp. maryae are attended to by Anoplolepis custodiens ants.

Subspecies

• Trimenia malagrida malagrida (Cape Peninsula)
• Trimenia malagrida cedrusmontana (Dickson & Stephen, 1975) (Cederberg and Skurweberg)
• Trimenia malagrida maryae (Dickson & Henning, 1980) (coastal dune fynbos from De Hoop to Witsand)
• Trimenia malagrida paarlensis (Dickson, 1967) (Paarl Mountain and Paardeberg)

References

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