Iolaus frater explained

Iolaus frater, the brotherly sapphire, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania.^[1] The habitat consists of upland forests, just below the submontane level.

The larvae feed on Tapinanthus erectotruncatus and Tapinanthus dependens.

Subspecies

• Iolaus frater frater (Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Uele, Tshopo and North Kivu)
• Iolaus frater kamerunica (Riley, 1928) (Cameroon)
• Iolaus frater kumboae (Bethune-Baker, 1926) (eastern Nigeria, Bioko)

Notes and References

1. Web site: Afrotropical Butterflies: Lycaenidae - Subtribe Iolaina . 2012-08-28 . 2014-04-07 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140407084404/http://atbutterflies.com/downloads/lycaenidae_iolaina.doc . dead .