Iolaus is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. The lineages defined as Argiolaus, Epamera, Iolaphilus and Stugeta are often included in Iolaus. Iolaus species are found in the Afrotropical realm.There are ca. 130 species in Iolaus
Medium-sized butterflies, hind wing with two long tails. The upper side is more or less shiny blue. The undersides are pale greyish-brown, often with a dark transverse line in the dista part or an orange spot at the hind corner of the hindwing.
Most species have larvae that feed onsemi-parasitic plants in the mistletoe family (Viscaceae).
The genus is distributed in sub-Saharan Africa, also in southern Arabia, which is biogeographically part of Africa, and north to Israel.
Species
.
- Subgenus Iolaus <small>Hübner, [1819]</small>
- Iolaus bilineata <small>Bethune-Baker, 1908</small>
- Iolaus bolissus <small>Hewitson, 1873</small>
- Iolaus carina <small>Hewitson, 1873</small>
- Iolaus eurisus <small>(Cramer, [1780])</small>
- Subgenus Epamera <small>Druce, 1891</small>
- Iolaus adorabilis <small>Collins & Larsen, 2008</small>
- Iolaus aemulus <small>Trimen, 1895</small>
- Iolaus aethes <small>Clench, 1965</small>
- Iolaus aethria <small>Karsch, 1893</small>
- Iolaus agnes <small>Aurivillius, 1898</small>
- Iolaus alienus <small>(Trimen, 1898)</small>
- Iolaus apatosa <small>(Stempffer, 1952)</small>
- Iolaus aphnaeoides <small>Trimen, 1873</small>
- Iolaus arborifera <small>(Butler, 1901)</small>
- Iolaus aurivillii <small>Röber, 1900</small>
- Iolaus australis <small>Stevenson, 1937</small>
- Iolaus bakeri <small>(Riley, 1928)</small>
- Iolaus bamptoni <small>(Congdon & Collins, 1998)</small>
- Iolaus banco <small>Stempffer, 1966</small>
- Iolaus bansana <small>Bethune-Baker, 1926</small>
- Iolaus belli <small>Hewitson, 1869</small> (status unclear)
- Iolaus bellina <small>(Plötz, 1880)</small>
- Iolaus coelestis <small>Bethune-Baker, 1926</small>
- Iolaus congdoni <small>(Kielland, 1985)</small>
- Iolaus creta <small>Hewitson, 1878</small>
- Iolaus cytaeis <small>Hewitson, 1875</small>
- Iolaus diametra <small>Karsch, 1895</small>
- Iolaus djaloni <small>Collins & Larsen, 1998</small>
- Iolaus dubiosa <small>(Stempffer & Bennett, 1959)</small>
- Iolaus farquharsoni <small>(Bethune-Baker, 1922)</small>
- Iolaus flavilinea <small>(Riley, 1928)</small>
- Iolaus fontainei <small>(Stempffer, 1956)</small>
- Iolaus frater <small>(Joicey & Talbot, 1921)</small>
- Iolaus gemmarius <small>(Druce, 1910)</small>
- Iolaus glaucus <small>Butler, 1886</small>
- Iolaus handmani <small>(Gifford, 1965)</small>
- Iolaus helenae <small>Henning & Henning, 1989</small>
- Iolaus hemicyanus <small>Sharpe, 1904</small>
- Iolaus iasis <small>Hewitson, 1865</small>
- Iolaus jacksoni <small>(Stempffer, 1950)</small>
- Iolaus kelle <small>Stempffer, 1967</small>
- Iolaus laon <small>Hewitson, 1878</small>
- Iolaus leonis <small>(Riley, 1928)</small>
- Iolaus longicauda <small>(Stempffer & Bennett, 1959)</small>
- Iolaus maesa <small>(Hewitson, 1862)</small>
- Iolaus mafugae <small>(Stempffer & Bennett, 1959)</small>
- Iolaus mermis <small>(Druce, 1896)</small>
- Iolaus mimosae <small>Trimen, 1874</small>
- Iolaus mongiro <small>Stempffer, 1969</small>
- Iolaus moyambina <small>(Stempffer & Bennett, 1959)</small>
- Iolaus nasisii <small>(Riley, 1928)</small>
- Iolaus neavei <small>(Druce, 1910)</small>
- Iolaus nolaensis <small>(Stempffer, 1951)</small>
- Iolaus normani <small>(Larsen, 1986)</small>
- Iolaus nursei <small>Butler, 1896</small>
- Iolaus obscurus <small>Aurivillius, 1923</small>
- Iolaus penningtoni <small>(Stempffer & Bennett, 1959)</small>
- Iolaus pollux <small>Aurivillius, 1895</small>
- Iolaus pseudofrater <small>Stempffer, 1962</small>
- Iolaus pseudopollux <small>Stempffer, 1962</small>
- Iolaus sappirus <small>(Druce, 1902)</small>
- Iolaus scintillans <small>Aurivillius, 1905</small>
- Iolaus sciophilus <small>(Schultze, 1916)</small>
- Iolaus sibella <small>(Druce, 1910)</small>
- Iolaus sidus <small>Trimen, 1864</small>
- Iolaus silanus <small>(Grose-Smith, 1889)</small>
- Iolaus stenogrammica <small>(Riley, 1928)</small>
- Iolaus sudanicus <small>Aurivillius, 1905</small>
- Iolaus tajoraca <small>Walker, 1870</small>
- Iolaus umbrosa <small>(Butler, 1886)</small>
- Iolaus violacea <small>(Riley, 1928)</small>
- Subgenus Aphniolaus <small>Druce, 1902</small>
- Iolaus pallene <small>(Wallengren, 1857)</small>
- Subgenus Philiolaus <small>Stempffer & Bennett, 1958</small>
- Iolaus alcibiades <small>Kirby, 1871</small>
- Iolaus calisto <small>(Westwood, 1851)</small>
- Iolaus christofferi <small>Collins & Larsen, 2003</small>
- Iolaus ismenias <small>(Klug, 1834)</small>
- Iolaus laonides <small>Aurivillius, 1898</small>
- Iolaus likpe <small>Collins & Larsen, 2003</small>
- Iolaus lukabas <small>Druce, 1890</small>
- Iolaus mane <small>Collins & Larsen, 2003</small>
- Iolaus newporti <small>Larsen, 1994</small>
- Iolaus ofere <small>Collins & Larsen, 2008</small>
- Iolaus paneperata <small>Druce, 1890</small>
- Iolaus parasilanus <small>Rebel, 1914</small>
- Iolaus poecilaon <small>(Riley, 1928)</small>
- Iolaus theodori <small>Stempffer, 1970</small>
- Iolaus vansomereni <small>(Stempffer & Bennett, 1958)</small>
- Subgenus Iolaphilus <small>Stempffer & Bennett, 1958</small>
- Iolaus aelianus <small>Staudinger, 1891</small>
- Iolaus alexanderi <small>Warren-Gash, 2003</small>
- Iolaus carolinae <small>Collins & Larsen, 2000</small>
- Iolaus gabunica <small>(Riley, 1928)</small>
- Iolaus henryi <small>(Stempffer, 1961)</small>
- Iolaus icipe <small>Collins & Larsen, 1998</small>
- Iolaus iulus <small>Hewitson, 1869</small>
- Iolaus jamesoni <small>(Druce, 1891)</small>
- Iolaus menas <small>Druce, 1890</small>
- Iolaus schultzei <small>Aurivillius, 1905</small>
- Iolaus shaba <small>Collins & Larsen, 1995</small>
- Iolaus trimeni <small>Wallengren, 1875</small>
- Subgenus Argiolaus <small>Druce, 1891</small>
- Iolaus aequatorialis <small>(Stempffer & Bennett, 1958)</small>
- Iolaus bergeri <small>(Stempffer, 1953)</small>
- Iolaus caesareus <small>Aurivillius, 1895</small>
- Iolaus cottrelli <small>(Stempffer & Bennett, 1958)</small>
- Iolaus crawshayi <small>(Butler, 1901)</small>
- Iolaus dianae <small>Heath, 1983</small>
- Iolaus iturensis <small>(Joicey & Talbot, 1921)</small>
- Iolaus kayonza <small>(Stempffer & Bennett, 1958)</small>
- Iolaus lalos <small>(Druce, 1896)</small>
- Iolaus manasei <small>(Libert, 1993)</small>
- Iolaus maritimus <small>(Stempffer & Bennett, 1958)</small>
- Iolaus montana <small>(Kielland, 1978)</small>
- Iolaus ndolae <small>(Stempffer & Bennett, 1958)</small>
- Iolaus pamae <small>Heath, 1994</small>
- Iolaus silarus <small>Druce, 1885</small>
- Iolaus silas <small>(Westwood, [1851])</small>
- Iolaus stewarti <small>Heath, 1985</small>
- Subgenus Pseudiolaus <small>Riley, 1928</small>
- Iolaus lulua <small>(Riley, 1944)</small>
- Iolaus poultoni <small>(Riley, 1928)</small>
- Subgenus Tanuetheira <small>Druce, 1891</small>
- Iolaus timon <small>(Fabricius, 1787)</small>
- Subgenus Trichiolaus <small>Aurivillius, 1898</small>
- Iolaus argentarius <small>Butler, 1879</small>
- Iolaus mermeros <small>(Mabille, 1878)</small>
References
External links