01 September 2016

Common Hairstreak - Raydah Escarpment


Whilst birding the bottom of the Raydah Escarpment near Abha I found and photographed an new butterfly for me in Saudi Arabia. This turned out to be a Common Hairstreak Hypolycaena philippus. They are also know as the the Purple-brown Hairstreak is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in sub-Saharan Africa and other areas including southwest Saudi Arabia. It has a wingspan of 22–28 mm for males and 23.5–31 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round in warmer areas with peaks in November and March or April.
Common Hairstreak