Western fairy playboy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Western fairy playboy |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Genus: | Paradeudorix |
| Species: |
P. eleala
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| Binomial name | |
| Paradeudorix eleala (Hewitson, 1865)
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| Synonyms | |
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The western fairy playboy (scientific name: Paradeudorix eleala) is a beautiful butterfly. It belongs to a group of butterflies called Lycaenidae, which are often small and colorful. This butterfly lives in the warm, green primary forests of West and Central Africa. You can find it in countries like Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
What Do Western Fairy Playboys Eat?
These butterflies have an interesting diet, especially when they are young.
- Caterpillar Food: The young butterflies, called larvae or caterpillars, mostly eat leaves from two types of plants. They enjoy Albizia zygia trees and Theobroma cacao plants. Theobroma cacao is the plant where chocolate comes from!
- Ant Friends: Even more interesting, these caterpillars have special helpers. A type of ant called Crematogaster buchneri looks after them. The ants protect the caterpillars from predators, and in return, the caterpillars give the ants a sweet liquid. This is a cool example of how different creatures can help each other in nature.
Types of Western Fairy Playboys
Just like people from different places might have slightly different looks, butterflies can also have different groups within their species. These groups are called subspecies. The western fairy playboy has a few known subspecies, each found in different parts of Africa:
- Paradeudorix eleala eleala: This group lives in eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Bioko, and parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
- Paradeudorix eleala cufadana: You can find this subspecies in Guinea-Bissau.
- Paradeudorix eleala parallela: This one lives in Guinea Bissau and Guinea.
- Paradeudorix eleala viridis: This group is found along the coast of Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, and western Nigeria.
Images for kids
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A western fairy playboy feeding on a flower in Lagos, Nigeria.
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A western fairy playboy with its wings open in Lagos.
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A western fairy playboy at rest in Lagos.
 | Isaac Myers |
 | D. Hamilton Jackson |
 | A. Philip Randolph |
