Africa Wild

Pea Blue, Long-tailed Blue, Lucerne Blue Lampides boeticus (Lusern-bloutjie)
Family: Lycaenidae. Subfamily: Polyommatinae. Tribe: Polyommatini

© Blu'Tuna
Male. Garden in Johannesburg

Description
Wingspan: ♂ 24–32 mm ♀ 24–34 mm. Body dark grey. Antennae finely barred black and white.
The male is violet-blue in colour above, with a narrow brown border to the outer margins of the wings; bordered on the outside edge of the wing by a whitish ciliate fringe. There are two small black spots near the anal angle of the hindwing, which subtend a white-tipped dark hair-tail.
The female is slightly larger than the male and although her forewing is still largely blue, it is lighter in hue and the hue and the grey-brown outer margin is broader than the male's. Her hindwing is brown with a blue flush basally and there is a row of faint white-edged brownish 'ocelli' on the outer margin which culminates in two white-rimmed black spots at the hair-tail. There is a row of diffuse white marks parallel to and inside the row of 'ocelli'.
Underside with distinctive white lines on a fawn ground colour. The forewing undersides of both sexes are grey-brown with an irregular series of yellowish-brown bars and whitish streaks roughly parallel to the outer margin; the hindwing has a similar pattern but there is also a broad whitish bar across the wing parallel to the outer margin. The two black ocelli at the hair-tail are margined with white on the outside and with orange on the inside.

Distribution
Europe, Africa, South and Southeast Asia and Australia.
Throughout South Africa.

Biology
Flight period: Year-round with peak from Nov–Mar.
Larva feeds on a vast variety of legumes (lentils, peas, beans and vetches).

Links: Ivor Migdoll's Field Guide to the Butterflies of Southern Africa

© steamtrainfan
Garden in Pretoria

Common Smoky Blue Euchrysops malathana
Family: Lycaenidae. Subfamily: Polyommatinae. Tribe: Polyommatini

© mposthumus

Description
Wingspan: males 22-30 mm, females 23-31 mm. Upperside male brownish with orange eye-spot; female darker with purple-blue centre.

Distribution
South-western Arabia and Africa, south of the Sahara including Madagascar.

Habitat
This is primarily a savannah species but is invasive in degraded forest habitats, farmland, urban parks and oil palm plantations.

Biology
Adults are on wing year round, with a peak from December to May in South Africa.
Foodplants: Sphenostylis angustifolius, Psidium and Vigna species.

Topaz Babul Blue, Topaz-spotted Blue, Topaz Blue Azanus jesous jesous (Hemels-bloutjie)
Family: Lycaenidae. Subfamily: Polyommatinae. Tribe Polyommatini

© Super Mongoose

© Super Mongoose

© Super Mongoose
Vaalkop Dam Nature Reserve, North West Province

Description
Wingspan: ♂ 17–26 mm ♀ 22–28 mm.
The male has lilac-blue wings with black margins. The somewhat duller female has uniform brown wings with a blue wash. The uppersides of the female wings also have a variable, white, disc-shaped patch, a conspicuous brown spot near the tips, and a black spot near the body. The undersides of the wings on both sexes have broad, straight, white-edged bands on the forewings and a series of white-edged, brown spots on the hindwings.
Butterflies in the family Lycaenidae are characterised by banded antennae, a narrow face, and thread-like extensions on the hind wings. The forelegs of the male have fused tips without claws and are smaller than the hind legs, but the forelegs of the females are of equal size and bear claws.
The African babul blue has a large body relative to its wing size and has a strong flight. The caterpillar is cryptically coloured and has rigid serrations on the upperside.

Distribution
Azanus jesous is a small butterfly found in India and Africa from the Cape to Arabia. Most common South African Azanus. Widespread over almost all of South Africa.

Habitat
The African Babul Blue occurs in a variety of habitats including hillsides, parklands, gardens and coastal areas.

Biology
Foodplants: Like other Azanus Blues, the larva feeds on Acacia species.
Flight period: Continuous broods from Sept–May in cooler areas; in warmer areas, year-round, peak late summer.
The female lays the pill-shaped, flat-topped eggs singly on drying lower leaves of Acacia species, where the caterpillar voraciously grazes upon flowers, buds and fresh shoots.

Links: Wikipedia; ARKive
http://www.metamorphosis.org.za/article ... 0Moore.pdf

Grass Jewel, Jewel Blue Chilades trochylus, Freyeria trochylus (Grasjuweeltjie)
Family: Lycaenidae. Subfamily: Polyommatinae. Tribe: Polyommatini




Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park


Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, Mata Mata © ExFmem


Description
Wingspan: males 13-16 mm females 16-18 mm. Considered to be the third-smallest butterfly in South Africa, the grass jewel is often overlooked.
Tiny dark brown butterflies, somewhat variable in tint, with conspicuous orange hind wing anal patch. Male upperside dark brown with three orange-capped black spots on lower hind wing margin.
Underside with a row of three ‘jewelled’ hind wing spots with orange lunules and conspicuous white-edged black basal spots.

Distribution
Africa, southern Europe, India and southern Asia. Very common throughout the Kalahari.

Habitat
Generally solitary in grassy areas, in vleis and marshes sometimes in numbers. Flight slow and halting, low amongst vegetation.

Biology
Adults are on wing through the warmer months. Continuous broods all year, mainly Oct–May. In cooler areas only found Oct–May.
Foodplants: Larva feeds on Indigofera, Heliotropium species.

Links: Wikipedia

© ExFmem
Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

Zebra White Pinacopteryx eriphia eriphia (Kwagga)
Family: Pieridae. Subfamily: Pierinae. Tribe: Euchloini

© Toko
Tembe Elephant Park, KwaZulu-Natal

Description
Wingspan: ♂ 40–55 mm ♀ 42–47 mm. Sexes similar, but seasonally dimorphic.
Body black. Wings creamy white or yellow, edged with black and yellow patches; black band across each wing. Upperside black or brown black, with conspicuous white to cream-yellow zebra stripes and spots.
DSF f. nyassae has paler upper side bands; underside more uniform, paler pinkish grey than f. eriphia, which has pale patches mirroring the upper side stripes.

Distribution
It is found in South Africa, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique, Malawi, southern Tanzania. Throughout South Africa, but absent from Fynbos, Succulent Karoo and the highest mountains.

Habitat
An inhabitant of open country (bushveld and savanna). Flatlands, hillsides, forest edges, parks and gardens. Feeds on flowers or sometimes found sucking at damp mud.

Biology
Larvae feed on Maeris cafra, Boscia species, Capparis oleoides, and Maerua triphylla.
Flight period: Year-round in warmer areas, Oct–Apr in cooler areas.

Links: Field Guide to Insects of South Africa

Buquet's Vagrant Nepheronia buquetii buquetii
Family Pieridae. Subfamily Pierinae. Tribe Colotini

© Dewi
Kosi Forest Lodge, KwaZulu-Natal

© Dewi
Female, Kosi Forest Lodge, KwaZulu-Natal

Description
Wingspan: males 45–50 mm females 48–56 mm. Wings are soft white above with black tip and edging on the forewings. The black markings are variable and can be almost absent in dry season forms. Females are similar to males but with lighter brown forewing markings.
Also commonly known as the 'Green-eyed Monster' with its distinctive yellowish green eyes and proboscis which are tinge with green.
Similar species: It can be easily confused with the African Migrant (Catopsilia florella), which has a dark spot in the middle of each forewing. Nepheronia buquetii has green eyes, while C. florella has brown eyes.

Taxonomy
There are three subspecies:
N. b. buquetii (northern Senegal, Niger, Nigeria, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, coast of Kenya, coast of Tanzania, Zambia, northern Namibia, northern Botswana, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, eSwatini, South Africa)
N. b. buchanani (North Africa, south-western Saudi Arabia, Yemen)
N. b. pauliani (Madagascar)

Distribution
Distribution: throughout Africa.
Distribution in the Kruger National Park: Sabie-Sand forest, Satara, Shingwedzi, Punda Maria, Pafuri.
Distribution in Namibia: Central Namibia, Windhoek, Okahandja, Erongo Mountains and north of Opuwo.

Habitat
Coastal bush, savanna and forest, also common in gardens.

Biology
It is on the wing throughout the year, but more abundant during the warmer months. Flight rapid and direct, settling often on flowers. Both sexes often feed on the nectar of flowers. Larval food plants include Azima tetracantha (Needle-bush) and Salvadora persica (Mustard-tree). Eggs are laid singly on the uppersides of the leaves of the food plant and take about eight days to hatch.


Links:
https://www.metamorphosis.org.za/articl ... Butler.pdf

Small Orange Tip, Tiny Orange Tip Colotis evagore antigone (Kleinoranjepuntjie)
Family: Pieridae. Subfamily: Pierinae. Tribe: Pierini

© BluTuna
Male, Kruger National Park

© nan
Kruger National Park

© Heksie
Kruger National Park

© Pumbaa
Kruger National Park

Description
Wingspan: ♂ 28–35 mm ♀ 28–38 mm.
Told from similar species by the black spot at the basal edge of the orange.
It has a weak flight and is seldom seen more than half a metre above the ground.
Seasonally polymorphic.

Taxonomy
Colotis evagore is a butterfly of the Pieridae family. The following subspecies are recognised:
Colotis evagore evagore (Saudi Arabia, Yemen)
Colotis evagore nouna (Spain, north-west Africa)
Colotis evagore antigone (Sub-Saharan Africa)
Colotis evagore niveus (Socotra)

Distribution
Colotis evagore is a butterfly of the Pieridae family. It is found in the dry parts of tropical Africa, northern Africa, southern Spain, and southwest Arabia.
The sub-saharan subscecies C. e. antigone is found in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Kenya, Zambia, Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland.

Habitat
A common and widespread inhabitant of arid bushveld.

Biology
Flight period: Year-round, depending on rainfall. Usually most abundant in autumn.


© BluTuna

© BluTuna

© BluTuna
Kruger National Park, Mooiplaas Picnic Spot

© Richprins
Female, dry season form, Marloth Park


Links:
Swaziland's Butterflies: Photos of Small Orange Tip
http://www.metamorphosis.org.za/article ... educed.pdf

Red Tip Colotis antevippe gavisa (Rooipuntjie)
Family: Pieridae. Subfamily: Pierinae. Tribe: Pierini

© Pumbaa
Male, Wet Season Form, Kruger National Park

© Pumbaa
Kruger National Park, Muntshe loop

Description
Wingspan: 49-45 mm. Body grey. Wings white with orange-red tips. Black band extends horizontally from body. Outer margins of wings black. Black spot in centre of forewing.
Sexes are dimorphic and seasonally polymorphic.
The wet-season male is white above with a large red apical patch bordered all round in black, the black continuing narrowly along the costa to the base and more broadly to the inner angle. There is also a broad black border to the outer margin of the hindwing and a diffusely edged black bar which extends from the wing bases along most of the length of the inner margin of the forewing and the costa of the hindwing. At the end of the forewing discal cell is a small black dot.
The wet- season female (photograph 189c) is much more heavily marked with black than the male, the white being reduced on the forewing to a semicircular band and on the hindwing to one large mid-wing patch with associated smaller white markings. The colour of the wet-season female's apex is usually more red than orange and is less extensive than in the male, with proportionately more black.
In the dry season the extent of the black on the wings is much reduced. In the male the red apical patch is scarcely bordered in black, the forewing cell spot may almost vanish, and the edge of the outer margin of the hindwing has only a small streak of black at the end of each vein. The bar along the junction of fore- and hindwing is reduced to black dusting at the wing bases. The dry-season female retains more of her black colouration but white replaces black as the dominant colour.
The undersides of both sexes yellowish with an orange flush in the forewing apex. In the wet season the wing veins are outlined in black, but in the dry season form this black disappears. The dry-season forms are densely speckled with black on the hindwing and on the forewing apical area.

Distribution
Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia (Etosha National Park, Epupa Falls, Ruacana Falls, Kavango River region, Caprivi Strip, Damaraland, central and northern Namibia, Kalahari Desert, Fish River Canyon), South Africa (Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, North West Province, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape Province, Western Cape Province - south-east), Swaziland.

Habitat
Common throughout the savanna areas, woodland and coastal bush of Southern Africa. Both sexes can often be seen feeding on nectar, and occasionally visiting muddy places.

Biology
Flight period: Year-round, depending on rainfall. Peak towards late summer and autumn.


Female, wet season form, Grietjie Private Reserve, Limpopo, South Africa © Sprocky

Links:
http://www.metamorphosis.org.za/article ... educed.pdf

African Orange Tip Colotis evenina evenina (Oranjepuntjie)
Family Pieridae. Subfamily Pierinae. Tribe Pierini

Male, wet season form, Grietjie Private Reserve, Limpopo (Feb 2021) © Sprocky

© Pumbaa
Male, wet season form, Kruger National Park, Red Rocks

© leachy
Male, wet season form, Kruger National Park

© Sprocky
Female, wet season form, Grietjie Private Reserve, Limpopo

Description
Wingspan: ♂ 38–45 mm ♀ 35–42 mm
Sexually and seasonally dimorphic; upperside resembles a small Red Tip.
No black spot on forewing. Black spots along outer margin of hindwing.
The dry-season form shows, like most other Colotis species, a great reduction in black pigmentation.

Distribution
Throughout the drier parts of Southern Africa: Mozambique, Zimbabwe (south and east), Botswana, Namibia, South Africa (Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, North West Province, Gauteng, Free State Province, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape Province, Northern Cape Province), Swaziland, Lesotho.

Habitat
A common and widespread species in savanna and woodland of southern Africa. It favours low-laying hot areas aand avoids woodlands, thickets, slopes.

Biology
Larval food plants include species of Boscia and Capparis (Capparaceae).
Flight period: Year-round, depending on rainfall.

Links: FILE D – PIERIDAE - Afrotropical Butterflies and Skippers; Ivor Migdoll's Field Guide to the Butterflies of Southern Africa

© JustN@ture
Kruger National Park, S21

© leachy
Male

Bushveld Purple Tip, Common Purple Tip, Purple Tip Colotis ione (Bosveld-perspuntjie)
Family: Pieridae. Subfamily: Pierinae. Tribe: Pierini

© BluTuna
Kruger National Park

© Pumbaa
Male, Wet season form, Kruger National Park S52

© Sprocky
Grietjie Private Reserve, Limpopo, South Africa

Description
Wingspan: ♂ 45–50 mm ♀ 48–52 mm
Wet season form with heavy black markings and veins blackened. Dry season form with reduced black markings, veins not blackened and they are generally paler. Many female forms have been described. The males and females differ very much in colour with the male being almost all white and having just the tips of his wings purple.

Distribution
This is a savannah butterfly with a huge African distribution stretching from the Gambia to Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea mainly in the Sudan savannah ecological zone. In East Africa it is rather more catholic in habitat choice and is widespread south to KwaZulu-Natal and eastern Cape. It is not able to survive under true desert habitats and is thus missing from most of Botswana. In South Africa found from Gauteng northwards and along the eastern coast.

Habitat
Mostly a widespread bushveld species that also flies in suitably dry coastal bush.

Biology
Flight period: Year-round, depending on rainfall. More prevalent during summer and autumn.
Specimens are often seen feeding on the nectar of flowers, in particular the purple-flowered Vernonia species.
Like many other Pieridae, the larva feeds on species of Boscia, Maerua and Capparis.

© Kesheshe
Kruger National Park

Links:
http://www.metamorphosis.org.za/article ... educed.pdf