Oraidium barberae
species of insect
Oraidium barberae, the dwarf blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa and Zimbabwe. In South Africa it is found from the Western Cape, north to Namaqualand, the Northern Cape and east to the Eastern Cape and the Free State as well as northern KwaZulu-Natal.
The wingspan is 10–15 mm for males and 12–18 mm for females, the smallest of all known butterflies. Adults are on wing continuously depending on the rainfall, with peaks usually occurring from September to November and from February to April.
The larvae probably feed on Exomis axyrioides.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Oraidium barberae” is species of insect. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Oraidium, barberae and species, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “species of insect” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
Stable identifiers, scientific names and standards terminology offer the best bridge between this overview and specialist evidence. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 17, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q7099341. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Oraidium barberae”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Oraidium barberae primary sources, Oraidium barberae archive and Oraidium research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Oraidium barberae”?
- Is the terminology current, historical or disputed?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Oraidium barberae” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.