Orachrysops niobe (Trimen, 1862)
Brenton blue
Taxonomy & Nomenclature
Synonym/s: Lycaena niobe Trimen, 1862; Euchrysops niobe Trimen, 1862; Lepidochrysops niobe Trimen, 1862
Conservation Status
Last record: 1858
Rediscovered in 1977
IUCN RedList status: Endangered
Distribution
South Africa
Biology & Ecology
Hypodigm
Media
References
Original scientific description:
Trimen, Roland. (1862). On some new species of South African butterflies. Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 3(1): 279-291.
Other references:
Ball, J. B. (1997). Some notes on the Brenton Blue butterfly, Orachrysops niobe (Trimen) (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae). (Research report for the Endangered Wildlife Trust of Southern Africa - Attachment 1: 22-27.) Johannesburg. (unpublished).
Britton, D. R. and Silberbauer, L. X. (1997). The life-history, ecology and conservation of the Brenton Blue butterfly, Orachrysops niobe (Trimen) (Lycaenidae) at Brenton-on-Sea. (Research report for the Endangered Wildlife Trust of Southern Africa). Johannesburg. (unpublished).
Clark, G. C. and Dickson, C. G. C. (1971). Life histories of the South African lycaenid butterflies. Cape Town: Purnell.
Edge, Dave A. (1997). Brenton Blue Butterfly Reserve Habitat Management. (unpublished).
Edge, Dave A. (2002). Some ecological factors influencing the breeding success of the Brenton Blue butterfly, Orachrysops niobe (Trimen) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Koedoe, 45(2): 19-34.
Edge, Dave A. (2003). Report on visit to Nature’s Valley. (unpublished).
Edge, Dave A. (2005a). The Green Trust: Application for project funding: Nature’s Valley Brenton Blue re-introduction. (unpublished).
Edge, Dave A. (2005b). Ecological factors influencing the survival of the Brenton Blue butterfly Orachrysops niobe (Trimen) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). PhD thesis. North-West University: Potchefstroom, South Africa.
Edge, Dave A. (2005c). Butterfly conservation in the southern Cape. Metamorphosis, 16(2): 28-46.
Edge, Dave A. (2005d). Re-introduction of the Brenton Blue to Nature’s Valley: Progress report - December 2005. (unpublished).
Edge, Dave A. (2006). Re-introduction of the Brenton Blue to Nature’s Valley: Progress report - July 2006. (unpublished).
Edge, Dave A. (2011). The Brenton Blue butterfly—twenty years of conservation. Environment 6: 34-35
Edge, Dave A. (2015). The Brenton Blue (Brentonbloutjie, Orachrysops niobe). Babbel Blues 4: 26-28.
Edge, Dave A., Cilliers, S. S. and Terblanche, R. F. (2008a). Vegetation communities at the Brenton Blue butterfly reserve. S A Journal of Science (in press).
Edge, Dave A., Robertson, H. G. and van Hamburg, H. (2008b). Ant assemblages at three potential breeding sites for the Brenton Blue butterfly, Orachrysops niobe (Trimen). African Entomology 16(2): 253-262. [Abstract]
Edge, Dave A. and Edge, E. D. (1994). Letter from Knysna. Metamorphosis 5(1): 32-35.
Edge, Dave A. and Pringle, E. L. (1996). Notes on the natural history of the Brenton Blue Orachrysops niobe (Trimen) (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). Metamorphosis 7(3): 109-20.
Heath, A. (1997). Description of a new species of Orachrysops Vári from the western Cape province of South Africa (Lepidoptera - Lycaenidae). Metamorphosis 8(1): 26-32.
Henning, S. F. and Henning, G. A. (1989). South African red data book: butterflies. South African National Scientific Programmes Report 158. Pretoria: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.
Hiseman, R. E. (2000). Brenton Blue butterfly reserve management report. (Report for western Cape nature conservation board – Goukamma reserve) Knysna. (unpublished).
Lu, S-S. and Samways, M. J. (2001). Life history of the threatened Karkloof blue butterfly, Orachrysops ariadne (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). African Entomology 9(2): 137-151.
Lu, S-S. and Samways, M. J. (2002a). Behavioural ecology of the Karkloof blue butterfly, Orachrysops ariadne (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae) relevant to its conservation. African Entomology, 10(1): 137-147.
Lu, S-S. and Samways, M. J. (2002b). Conservation management recommendations for the Karkloof blue butterfly, Orachrysops ariadne (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae). African Entomology, 10(1): 149-159.
Lubke, R. A., Hoarde, D. and Victor, J. (1997). The vegetation and floristics of the habitat of the Brenton Blue butterfly. (Research report for the Endangered Wildlife Trust of Southern Africa.) Johannesburg. (unpublished).
Lubke, R. A., Hoarde, D., Victor, J. and Ketelaar, R. (2003). The vegetation of the habitat of the Brenton Blue butterfly, [i]Orachrysops niobe[/i] (Trimen), in the southern Cape, South Africa. South African Journal of Science 99: 201-206.
Mecenero, S., Ball, J. B. and Edge, D. (2013). Conservation assessment of butterflies of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland: red list and atlas. Johannesburg: Saftronics (Pty) Ltd and Cape Town: the Animal Demography Unit.
Pringle, E. L., Henning, G. A. and Ball, J. B. (1994). Pennington's Butterflies of Southern Africa. 2nd edition. Cape Town: Struik Winchester. 800 pp.
Robertson, H. G. (1997). Report on the Ants at Brenton-on-Sea and their possible interactions with the Brenton Blue Butterfly, [i]Orachrysops niobe[/i]. (Research report for the Endangered Wildlife Trust of Southern Africa, Johannesburg). (unpublished).
Robertson, H. G. (1998). Report on field trip to Brenton-on-Sea from 15-26 November 1998. (Internal report for Life Sciences Division, Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town) (unpublished).
Robertson, H. G. (2000). Report on field trip to Brenton-on-Sea from 6-10 November 2000. (Internal report for Life Sciences Division, Iziko South African Museum, Cape Town) (unpublished).
Rodwell, L. and Van Hasselt, J. (2003). Nature’s News: Newsletter of the Nature’s Valley Trust – A Community Initiative: No 8 – July 2003. (unpublished).
Schutte-Vlok, A. L. (2001). Brenton Blue butterfly reserve environmental management plan (unpublished).
Silberbauer, L. X. and Britton, D. R. (1999). Holiday houses or habitat: conservation of the Brenton Blue butterfly, [i]Orachrysops niobe[/i] (Trimen) (Lycaenidae) in Knysna, South Africa, pp. 394-397. In: Ponder, W. and Lunney, D. (eds.). The Other 99%: The Conservation and Biodiversity of Invertebrates. Mosman, New South Wales: Transactions of the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales.
Steenkamp, C. and Stein, R. (1999). The Brenton Blue Saga - a case study of South African biodiversity conservation. Johannesburg: Endangered Wildlife Trust of Southern Africa. 105 p.
Swanepoel, D. A. (1953). Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town: Maskew Miller. 320 p.
Trimen, Roland. (1887). South African Butterflies. Vol II Erycinidae & Lycaenidae. Trübner. 36-38
Vári, L. and Kroon, D. (1986). Southern African Lepidoptera – a series of cross- referenced indices. Pretoria: The Lepidopterists’ Society of Southern Africa & The Transvaal Museum. 198 p.
Vlok, J. H. J. (1996). Orachrysops niobe site at Brenton. (Internal report – western Cape nature conservation board, George). (unpublished).
Williams, M. C. (1996). Report on research findings concerning the life history and ecology of the Brenton Blue (Orachrysops niobe). Metamorphosis 7(1): 3-7.
Species website: http://www.brentonblue.org.za/
http://extinctanimals.proboards.com/thread/7954/embattled-brenton-blue