''Capys connexivus'', the African protea butterfly, is a

butterfly 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 ...

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 ...

. 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 African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands ...

Malawi Malawi (; or aláwi Tumbuka: ''Malaŵi''), officially the Republic of Malawi, is a landlocked country in Southeastern Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the west, Tanzania to the north and northe ...

Zambia Zambia (), officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central, Southern and East Africa, although it is typically referred to as being in Southern Africa at its most central point. Its neighbours are ...

Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordina ...

and

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

. Adults are on wing year-round, with a peak from August to November. The larvae feed on ''

Protea gaguedi ''Protea gaguedi'' is a species of tree which belongs to the genus ''Protea''. Common names and etymology This tree is known by the common name of African protea. Other vernacular names for this species used in South Africa include African sug ...

'' and ''

Protea angolensis ''Protea angolensis'' is also known as the Angolan protea, northern protea or northern sugarbush. In Afrikaans it is known as the ''noordelijke suikerbos''. This is a dwarf, multistemmed shrub or small straggling tree occurring in open wooded gr ...

''.

Subspecies

*''Capys connexivus connexivus'' (western Tanzania, Malawi, northern and central Zambia, Angola, western and northern Zimbabwe) *''Capys connexivus gardineri'' Henning & Henning, 1988 (Zambia: Mufulira area)

References

Butterflies described in 1897 Capys (butterfly) Butterflies of Africa Taxa named by Arthur Gardiner Butler {{Theclinae-stub