Cigaritis phanes, the silvery bar, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in south-west Africa, including Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa. In South Africa it is found from north-western KwaZulu-Natal to the northern part of the Free State, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and Northern Cape.
The wingspan is 24–27 mm for males and 26–30 mm for females. Adults are on wing year-round with peaks from September to November and from March to June.[1]
C. phanes species exhibit notable variations in coloration, compared to specimens from other regions in South Africa.[2]
The larvae feed on Acacia mellifera and Ximenia afra. They are associated with the ant species Crematogaster castanea.