African Babul Blue

Azanus jesous · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Lycaenidae

Also called: Topaz Babul Blue, Topaz-spotted Blue

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
African Babul Blue
Photo: J.M.Garg, CC BY-SA

The male has a brighter, paler purple upperside than the similar A. ubaldus, with a more pronounced dark blue base on the wings. It lacks the conspicuous hair-like scales on the forewing that A. ubaldus shows, and its hindwing tornal spots are very faint.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Males display a brighter, paler purple on the upperside compared with A. ubaldus, with a stronger dark blue tint at the wing base. The forewing lacks the conspicuous hair-like scales seen in A. ubaldus, and the hindwing’s dark tornal spots are very obscure.

Source: Wikipedia

Lookalikes

It can be confused with A. ubaldus, but the male’s upperside is a paler, brighter purple.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

African Babul Blue photo 3
Photo: Manidip Mandal, CC BY-SA

Same family (Lycaenidae)

Common BlueCommon BluePolyommatus icarusGray HairstreakGray HairstreakStrymon melinusSmall CopperSmall CopperLycaena phlaeasEastern Tailed-BlueEastern Tailed-BlueEveres comyntasHolly BlueHolly BlueCelastrina argiolusLesser Grass BlueLesser Grass BlueZizina otis

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azanus_jesous

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.

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