Whilst
birding the bottom of the Raydah Escarpment near Abha I found and photographed
an new butterfly for me in Saudi Arabia. This turned out to be a Common
Hairstreak Hypolycaena philippus.
They are also know as the the
Purple-brown Hairstreak is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in
sub-Saharan Africa and other areas including southwest Saudi Arabia. It has a
wingspan of 22–28 mm for males and 23.5–31 mm for females. Adults are on wing
year round in warmer areas with peaks in November and March or April.
