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Southern sapphire
	Female and male
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Lycaenidae
Genus:	Iolaus
Species:	I. silas
Binomial name
	Iolaus silas; (Westwood, [1851])
Synonyms
	Anops silas Westwood, [1851]; Thecla nega Herrich-Schäffer, [1853] ;

Iolaus silas, the southern sapphire, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae which is endemic to South Africa.

Range

It occurs from the southeastern Nama Karoo in the Eastern Cape (Somerset East and Bedford areas), and along the eastern littoral to northern KwaZulu-Natal.^[3] It is present in spekboomveld, coastal savannah and lowland forest.

The wingspan is 32–37 mm for males and 34–41 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round in warmer areas and from September to January in the southern part of its range.^[3] The larvae feed on various mistletoes, namely Moquiniella rubra, Erianthemum dregei and Loranthus usuiensis.

^ Pringle, E.L. (2020) [amended version of 2020 assessment]. "Iolaus silas". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T161342145A175074166. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2020-2.RLTS.T161342145A175074166.en. Retrieved 8 August 2021.
^ Iolaus at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
^ ^a ^b Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.

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