Thestor brachycerus, the Knysna skolly, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa.
| Knysna skolly | |
|---|---|
| |
| Thestor brachycerus subsp. dukei | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Thestor |
| Species: | T. brachycerus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Thestor brachycerus (Trimen, 1883)
| |
| Synonyms | |
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The wingspan is 27–36 mm for males and 29–39 mm for females. Adults are on the wing from December to January. There is one generation per year.[2]
Larvae have been found in the nests of the pugnacious ant, Anoplolepis custodiens, but the larval food is unknown.
Subspecies
edit- Thestor brachycerus brachycerus – seaside skolly
- Range: Western Cape, confined to the heads at Knysna
- Thestor brachycerus dukei van Son, 1951 – Duke's skolly
- Range: Karoo and fynbos along the Langeberg from Die Koo to Montagu, then along the Swartberg and Elandsberg to the Outeniqua Mountains and along the southern Western Cape coast from Kogelberg to Stanford
References
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thestor brachycerus.
Wikispecies has information related to Thestor brachycerus.
- ^ Edge, D.A.; Pringle, E.L.; Patel, T.; Van Der Colff, D. (2022). "Thestor brachycerus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2022: e.T21751A165245662. Retrieved 29 December 2022.
- ^ Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.