''Alaena'' is a genus of

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

, commonly called Zulus, 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 butterfl ...

. They are

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the Afrotropics.

Species

Listed alphabetically:''Alaena''
at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms'' *'' Alaena amazoula'' Boisduval, 1847 – yellow Zulu *''

Alaena bicolora ''Alaena bicolora'' is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found from eastern to south-western Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa ...

'' Bethune-Baker, 1924 *'' Alaena bjornstadi'' Kielland, 1993 *'' Alaena brainei'' Vári, 1976 *'' Alaena caissa'' Rebel & Rogenhofer, 1894 *'' Alaena dodomaensis'' Kielland, 1983 *''

Alaena exotica ''Alaena exotica'', the Jos Zulu, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found on the Jos Plateau of Nigeria. The habitat consists of rocky areas with tall grass. The larvae feed on "blue-green algae" (cyanobacteria) growing on rocks. Re ...

'' Collins & Larsen, 2005 *'' Alaena ferrulineata'' Hawker-Smith, 1933 *'' Alaena interposita'' Butler, 1883 *'' Alaena johanna'' Sharpe, 1890 – Johanna's Zulu *'' Alaena kiellandi'' Carcasson, 1965 *'' Alaena lamborni'' Gifford, 1965 *'' Alaena maculata'' Hawker-Smith, 1933 *'' Alaena madibirensis'' Wichgraf, 1921 *'' Alaena margaritacea'' Eltringham, 1929 – Wolkberg Zulu *''

Alaena ngonga ''Alaena ngonga'', the Ngong Zulu, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in central Kenya and Tanzania (Masai and Serengeti The Serengeti ( ) ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa, spanning northern Tanzania. The pr ...

'' Jackson, 1966 *'' Alaena nyassa'' Hewitson, 1877 *'' Alaena oberthuri'' Aurivillius, 1899 *'' Alaena ochracea'' Gifford, 1965 *'' Alaena picata'' Sharpe, 1896 *'' Alaena reticulata'' Butler, 1896 *'' Alaena rosei'' Vane-Wright, 1980 *'' Alaena subrubra'' Bethune-Baker, 1915 *'' Alaena unimaculosa'' Hawker-Smith, 1926

References

*
Seitz, A. ''Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde'' 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 61
Poritiinae Lycaenidae genera Taxa named by Jean Baptiste Boisduval Taxonomy articles created by Polbot Taxobox binomials not recognized by IUCN {{Poritiinae-stub