Bug FAQLeaden Hairtail
Anthene amarah · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Lycaenidae
Also called: Black-striped Hairtail, Leaden Ciliate Blue
The leaden hairtail (Anthene amarah) is a Lycaenid butterfly found in savanna and open forest areas of tropical Africa and Arabia. Males have a wingspan of 21 to 26 mm, females 23 to 29 mm, and adults fly year-round with a summer peak; larvae feed on several Acacia species.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The leaden hairtail, also called the black-striped hairtail, is a butterfly in the Lycaenidae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Males have a wingspan of about 21 to 26 mm, while females are larger at 23 to 29 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It lives in savanna and sometimes in open forest areas.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
The caterpillars feed on Acacia species such as Acacia karroo, Acacia sieberana and Vachellia gerrardi.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults can be seen flying throughout the year, with numbers peaking in summer.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
They are on the wing year-round, especially in summer.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is native to tropical Africa and Arabia, reaching as far north as Aqaba.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Same family (Lycaenidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthene_amarah
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.