Anthene lachares

Description

Anthene lachares, the silky ciliate blue, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda. The habitat consists of primary forests and dense secondary forests. Adult males mud-puddle. The larvae are green and onisciform (woodlouse shaped), but become reddish with oblique lighter stripes just before pupation. They are usually found under leaves in groups of two to eight and are always attended by ants, including Pheidole aurivillii race kasaiensis and Pheidole rotundata.