Iolaus francisi

Description

Iolaus francisi, commonly known as Francis's sapphire or Francis's gorgeous sapphire, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is endemic to the Namba Mountains of Angola, where it inhabits patches of Afromontane evergreen forest at elevations between 2,100 and 2,390 metres above sea level. The species was formally described in 2025 by Alan J. Gardiner in the journal Zootaxa, based on specimens collected during expeditions in 2022 and 2023. It is classified within the subgenus Iolaphilus of the genus Iolaus and is notable for the male's brilliant structural blue coloration and the female's diagnostically unique underside wing pattern.