Forest Hairtail

Anthene larydas · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Lycaenidae

Also called: Kersten's Hairtail, Spotted Hairtail

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Forest Hairtail
Photo: Dr. Alexey Yakovlev, CC BY

It lives across many African countries from Senegal and the Gambia in the west to South Africa and Mozambique in the south. Its caterpillars feed on several leguminous trees such as Acacia farnesiana, Albizia species, and Dichrostachys glomerata.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

Anthene larydas is a butterfly known as the spotted hairtail or common ciliate blue.

Source: Wikipedia

Where it lives

The species is found in a wide range of African habitats, from West African nations to central and southern regions.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Forest Hairtail photo 3
Photo: Sunčana Bradley, CC BY
Forest Hairtail photo 4
Photo: unknown, CC0

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/Anthene_larydas

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.

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