''Alaena'' is a genus of

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises t ...

, commonly called Zulus, in the family

Lycaenidae Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfly ...

. They are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

to the

Afrotropics The Afrotropical realm is one of Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the majority of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the island ...

Species

Listed alphabetically:''Alaena''
at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms'' *''

Alaena amazoula ''Alaena amazoula'', the yellow Zulu, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in southern Africa. The wingspan is 22–28 mm for males and 25–32 mm for females. Adults are on wing from October to May (with a peak from D ...

'' Boisduval, 1847 – yellow Zulu *'' Alaena bicolora'' Bethune-Baker, 1924 *''

Alaena bjornstadi ''Alaena bjornstadi'' is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the Af ...

'' Kielland, 1993 *''

Alaena brainei ''Alaena brainei'', the Braine's Zulu, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in north-central Namibia. The habitat consists of rocky grassland. Adults are on wing from November to the beginning of May. Larvae feed on algae (Cyanob ...

'' Vári, 1976 *''

Alaena caissa ''Alaena caissa'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Uganda and Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the Africa ...

'' Rebel & Rogenhofer, 1894 *''

Alaena dodomaensis ''Alaena dodomaensis'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Tanzania. The habitat consists of medium altitude '' Brachystegia'' woodland and thornbush on rocky hillsides at altitudes ranging from 700 to 1,400 metres. Referen ...

'' Kielland, 1983 *''

Alaena exotica ''Alaena exotica'', the Jos Zulu, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found on the Jos Plateau of Nigeria. The habitat consists of rocky areas with tall grass. The larvae feed on "blue-green algae" (cyanobacteria Cyanobacteri ...

'' Collins & Larsen, 2005 *'' Alaena ferrulineata'' Hawker-Smith, 1933 *''

Alaena interposita ''Alaena interposita'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Tanzania. The habitat consists of ''Brachystegia ''Brachystegia'' is a genus of tree of the subfamily Detarioideae that is native to tropical Africa. Trees of the g ...

'' Butler, 1883 *''

Alaena johanna ''Alaena johanna'', the Johanna's Zulu, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya and Tanzania. The habitat consists of savanna and rocky hillsides at altitudes ranging from 1,200 to 1,900 metres. The larvae ...

'' Sharpe, 1890 – Johanna's Zulu *''

Alaena kiellandi ''Alaena kiellandi'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in western Tanzania. The habitat consists of rocky outcrops at altitudes between 1,000 and 1,700 metres. References Butterflies described in 1965 Alaena Endemic ...

'' Carcasson, 1965 *''

Alaena lamborni ''Alaena lamborni'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in southern Malawi. It is named for W.A. Lamborn. References Butterflies described in 1965 Alaena Endemic fauna of Malawi Butterflies of Africa {{Poriti ...

'' Gifford, 1965 *''

Alaena maculata ''Alaena maculata'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (from the south-eastern part of the country to Sankuru Sankuru is one of the 21 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Co ...

'' Hawker-Smith, 1933 *'' Alaena madibirensis'' Wichgraf, 1921 *''

Alaena margaritacea ''Alaena margaritacea'', the Wolkberg Zulu, is a species of Zulu butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to South Africa, where it is only known from grassy slopes adjoining Afromontane forest in the Haenertsburg area of Limpopo near th ...

'' Eltringham, 1929 – Wolkberg Zulu *''

Alaena ngonga ''Alaena ngonga'', the Ngong Zulu, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in central Kenya and Tanzania (Masai and Serengeti). The habitat consists of rocky hillsides in savanna. References Butterflies described in 1966 ...

'' Jackson, 1966 *''

Alaena nyassa ''Alaena nyassa'', the pied Zulu, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The habitat consists of riverine woodland, grassy places in savanna ...

'' Hewitson, 1877 *''

Alaena oberthuri ''Alaena oberthuri'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (from the south-eastern part of the country to Haut-Lomami Haut-Lomami (French for "Upper Lomami") is one of the 21 new provin ...

'' Aurivillius, 1899 *''

Alaena ochracea ''Alaena ochracea'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Malawi (from the southern part of the country to the Shire Highlands The Shire Highlands are a plateau in southern Malawi, located east of the Shire River. It is a majo ...

'' Gifford, 1965 *''

Alaena picata ''Alaena picata'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Kenya, Tanzania and Malawi. The habitat consists of rocky stream beds in forests and forest margins at altitudes ranging from 300 to 1,500 metres. The larvae possibly feed ...

'' Sharpe, 1896 *''

Alaena reticulata ''Alaena reticulata'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in southern Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central Africa, Central, Souther ...

'' Butler, 1896 *''

Alaena rosei ''Alaena rosei'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Angola, where it is only known from the area near Gabela and the vicinity of Lubango Lubango, formerly known as Sá da Bandeira, is a municipality in Angola, capital of ...

'' Vane-Wright, 1980 *''

Alaena subrubra ''Alaena subrubra'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in southern Sudan, northern Uganda and the Central African Republic. The larvae have been reported feeding on ''Rhus Sumac ( or ), also spelled sumach, is any of abo ...

'' Bethune-Baker, 1915 *''

Alaena unimaculosa ''Alaena unimaculosa'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ( Lualaba), Tanzania and Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of ...

'' Hawker-Smith, 1926

References

*
Seitz, A. ''Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde'' 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 61
Poritiinae Lycaenidae genera Taxa named by Jean Baptiste Boisduval Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN {{Poritiinae-stub