Bug FAQCape Black-eye
Leptomyrina lara · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Lycaenidae
The Cape black-eye is a small butterfly in the Lycaenidae family. Males have a wingspan of about 20 to 29 mm and females 23 to 31 mm. It lives in South African fynbos, Nama Karoo and Succulent Karoo regions, from the Western to Eastern Cape and into Lesotho and the Northern Cape.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Leptomyrina lara, the Cape black-eye, belongs to the butterfly family Lycaenidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Males measure 20 to 29 mm across the wings, while females are slightly larger at 23 to 31 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits South African fynbos, Nama Karoo and Succulent Karoo habitats across the Western and Eastern Cape, eastern Free State, Lesotho mountains and Northern Cape.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on succulent plants such as Kalanchoe lugardii, various Crassula species and Cotyledon, including C. orbiculata.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active from August through April, producing several generations during the summer and spring.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
You can see adults on the wing from August to April, with multiple generations in warmer months.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range is confined to South Africa and nearby Lesotho, covering the mentioned biomes.
Source: Wikipedia
Questions people ask
When are Cape black-eye butterflies visible?
Adults fly from August to April, with several generations in summer and spring.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae eat?
The caterpillars feed on Kalanchoe lugardii, Crassula species and Cotyledon plants.
Source: Wikipedia
How big are Cape black-eye butterflies?
Males have a wingspan of 20 to 29 mm and females 23 to 31 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does the Cape black-eye live?
It is found in South African fynbos, Nama Karoo and Succulent Karoo areas, from the Western to Eastern Cape and into Lesotho and the Northern Cape.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Lycaenidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leptomyrina_lara
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 2026-10-23.