Africa Wild Insect Book: Butterflies (Lepidoptera)

[Klipspringer]

Giant Emperor Charaxes castor flavifasciatus
Family: Nymphalidae. Subfamily: Charaxinae. Tribe: Charaxini

© Pumbaa
Berg en Dal camp, Kruger National Park, South Africa

Description
The wingspan is 75–85 mm in males and 85–105 mm in females. South Africa's largest Charaxes. Sexes similar.
The upper sides are dark brown, with yellow bands running down their length.

Distribution
Kenya (east), Tanzania (north and east), Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe (east), Botswana (east); South Africa (Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal), Eswatini.

Habitat
Wooded savanna and forest.

Biology
Flight period: The flight period is year-round but more common in late summer to autumn.
Foodplants: Bridelia micrantha, Afzelia quanzensis, Tragia species., Gymnosporia species., Maytenus senegalensis, Scotia brachypetala, Bredelia micrantha and Cassia fistula.

Links:
http://www.metamorphosis.org.za/article ... heimer.pdf
https://books.google.de/books?id=Og9bDw ... st&f=false
https://books.google.de/books?id=mQ9bDw ... ca&f=false

Charaxes castor flavifasciatus.jpg (53.36 KiB) Viewed 2139 times

[Klipspringer]

Green-veined Charaxes Charaxes candiope
Family: Nymphalidae. Subfamily: Charaxinae. Tribe: Charaxini

© nan
Male, Namibia, Waterberg NP



Description
Wingspan: ♂ 45–55 mm ♀ 50–60 mm
Body tan. Base of wings yellow, remainder reddish brown. Broad brownish black band along outer wing margin with row of orange spots. Prominent raised, light green veins near front margins of fore wings. Underside brownish, with darker markings and yellow patches; green near main wing veins. Hind wings with 2 long tails in females, upper tail in males shorter than lower.

Distribution
Most of Subsaharan Africa: Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria (south and Cross River loop), Cameroon (south), Gabon, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia (north), South Africa (Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, North West Province, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape Province), Eswatini.

Habitat
Wooded country

Biology
Flight period: year-round.
Foodplants: Croton sylvaticus, Croton gratissimus, and Croton megalocarpus.


Links:
http://www.metamorphosis.org.za/article ... heimer.pdf
https://books.google.de/books?id=kw9bDw ... at&f=false

[Klipspringer]

Darker Commodore Precis antilope
Family: Nymphalidae. Subfamily: Nymphalinae. Tribe: Junoniini

© nan
Wet season from, Namibia, Waterberg NP


Description
Wingspan: males 40-55 mm; females 50-60 mm.
Reddish orange with brown margins and markings, with two distinct morphs, the dry season one being the largest.

Distribution
Most of Sub-Saharan Africa, including Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria (south and Cross River loop), Gabon, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia (central and north), South Africa
(Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, North West Province, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal), Eswatini.

Habitat
Savanna and woodland.

Biology
Flight period: from December to March.
Foodplants: Coleus and Plastostema species.


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

[Klipspringer]

Natal Babul Blue, Natal Spotted Blue, Azanus natalensis
Family: Lycaenidae. Subfamily: Polyommatinae. Tribe Polyommatini

Azanus natalensis.jpg (59.8 KiB) Viewed 2124 times

Kruger National Park © ExFmem


Description
Large (largest Azanus). Wingspan: ♂ 23–27 mm ♀ 24–30 mm.
The male has a bright blue upperside and the female has a chequerspot pattern of white on dark grey, with blue wing bases.
Underside with a heavy brown bar along costa joining a heavy bar across apex.
Forewing underside tip has a single hard-edged dark brown or black stripe on a white ground. The hindwing underside postdiscal marks are spots. The outer marginal black spot is closer to the wing base than the neighbouring spot.

Distribution
Senegal, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa (Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Free State Province, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape Province), Eswatini.

Habitat
Moist savanna.

Biology
Foodplants: Larvae feed on Acacia.
Flight period: Continuous broods all year, mainly Sept–May.


Links:
http://www.metamorphosis.org.za/article ... 0Moore.pdf
https://le.kloofconservancy.org.za/suff ... the-blues/

[Klipspringer]

Common Zebra Blue Leptotes pirithous pirithous
Family: Lycaenidae. Subfamily: Polyommatinae. Tribe: Polyommatini

Leptotes piriththous.jpg

Kruger National Park © ExFmem

Zebra Blues (Genus Leptotes)
There are four species of Zebra Blue found in South Africa that are identical on the wing surfaces. The only way to tell them apart is by inspection of the male genitalia under a strong lens. This is seldom convenient, and it has the disadvantage of killing the specimen. DNA is the only way to tell the females apart.
Although the great majority are most likely to be the Common Zebra Blue.


Description
Wingspan: ♂ 21–29 mm ♀ 24–30 mm.
Common Zebra Blue males are plain blue on the upperside and females have a pattern of grey spots and bands on a white and blue ground.
The underside has a distinctive pattern of irregular white-edged dark grey blotches and bands on a paler grey ground. The only butterfly that can easily be confused with it is the much rarer Sesbania Zebra Blue Leptotes pulchra pulchra, which has a paler underside ground colour.

Distribution
Sub-Saharan Africa, including Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin (throughout), Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea (Bioko), Sao Tome & Principe (Principe), Gabon, Angola, Central African Republic, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia (widespread), Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa (Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, North West Province, Gauteng, Free State Province, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape Province, Western Cape Province, Northern Cape Province), Eswatini. Also in Arabia (south-western Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman), Madagascar, Mauritius, Reunion, Rodrigues, Seychelles.
Extralimital in North Africa and Europe.

Habitat
Common and widespread throughout South Africa in all biomes; absent only from the highest mountains.

Biology
Foodplants: Larvae feed on Plumbargo.
Flight period: Year-round in warmer areas, Oct–Mar in cooler areas.


Links:
http://metamorphosis.org.za/articlesPDF ... cudder.pdf
https://le.kloofconservancy.org.za/suff ... the-blues/

Leptotes piriththous pirithous.jpg

[Klipspringer]

Little Acraea Acraea axina
Family: Nymphalidae. Subfamily: Heliconiinae. Tribe: Acraeini

Little Acraea (Acraea axina).jpg (300.53 KiB) Viewed 2089 times

Male, Sabi Sands, Tydon safari Camp © GlosterBirder


Description
Wingspan: males 35-40mm; females 36-44mm.

Distribution
Malawi (south), Zambia (south), Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, South Africa (Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, North West Province, Gauteng, Free State Province, KwaZulu-Natal – north), Eswatini.

Habitat
Dry savanna; hilltops, flatlands, hill sides.

Biology
Flight period: Multi-brooded year-round, peak: September to May.
Foodplants: Turneraceae

Acraea axina.jpg (70.69 KiB) Viewed 2089 times

Links:
http://www.metamorphosis.org.za/article ... educed.pdf
https://books.google.de/books?id=Og9bDw ... na&f=false

[Klipspringer]

Bushveld Sandman Spialia colotes transvaaliae
Family: Hesperidae. Subfamily: Pyrginae. Tribe: Carcharodini.


© Sprocky
Female, Grietjie Private Reserve, Limpopo, South Africa

Description
Wingspan: ♂ 21–28 mm. ♀ 21–28mm.
Black-brown uppersides with white to cream or pale green spots. Brown to grey undersides are spotted and striped in cream or white.

Distribution
From South Africa (M; LP; G; NW) to East Africa and south-western Arabia.

Habitat
Dry and moist savanna (bushveld).
Flies low down, often resting on low shrubs or the ground in the shade of trees. Both sexes are fond of flowers. Males do not hilltop, establishing
territories anywhere but often in the vicinity of a thorn tree. They perch on low shrubs or on the ground.

Biology
Flight period: From December to May, with a single brood.
Foodplants: Hibiscus

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

Spialia colotes transvaaliae.jpg (78.71 KiB) Viewed 2010 times

[Klipspringer]

Eastern Scarlet, Common Scarlet Axiocerses tjoane tjoane
Family: Lycaenidae. Subfamily: Aphnaeinae


Female, iMfolozi © Peter Connan

Axiocerses tjoane.JPG (79.67 KiB) Viewed 1508 times

Kruger National Park © mposthumus

Axiocerses tjoane tjoane Satara.jpg (99.08 KiB) Viewed 1489 times

Kruger National Park, Satara © mposthumus


Description
Wingspan: ♂ 24–32 mm ♀ 25-34 mm. Sexes dimorphic.
Body black with reddish hairs.
Upperside of wings red with black markings, underside cryptic. Single short tail on hindwing.
The underside of the male's hind wing is plain red-brown while the female's underside is spangled with gold flecks.
Rapid, darting flight. Both sexes found on flowers.

Distribution
Southern and eastern Africa.

Habitat
Savanna, coastal bush and forest margins.
Males defend territories from low bushes or prominent twigs on trees.

Biology
Flight period: Adults are on wing year round, peaks Sept–Nov and Mar–May.
Foodplants: Acacia species, Peltophorum africanum.

Links:
Metamorphosis

[Klipspringer]

Honey Hopper Platylesches moritili
Family: Hesperidae. Subfamily: Hesperiinae

Platylesches moritili.jpg (158.23 KiB) Viewed 1936 times

Feeding on Gymnanthemum coloratum, Kruger National Park, Pretoriuskop.

Description
Wingspan: ♂ 31–33 mm. ♀ 33–35 mm. Forewing dark brown with pale dots. The flight is fast and erratic.
Members of this genus are all very similar on upperside! Similar to Platylesches neba but characterized by the lack of pale scaling on the apex of the underside of the forewing.

Distribution
Widespread in Africa. In South Affrica a lowveld and escarpement species, found in KwaZulu-Natal, north along the coast and hinterland to Maputaland and from Mpumalanga to northern Gauteng and from the central Limpopo Province to Pafuri.

Habitat
Savanna and riverine forest. Rests on ground, grass stems, and leaves of shrubs and trees. Both flowers and muddy patches are visited.

Biology
Adults are on wing year round, but are more common from March to May and from October to December.
Foodplant: Parinari curatellifolia.

Links:
http://metamorphosis.org.za/articlesPDF ... olland.pdf

[Klipspringer]

Damara Copper Aloeides damarensis damarensis
Family: Lycaenidae. Subfamily: Aphnaeinae

© ExFmem
Female, Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park, South Africa

Description
Wingspan: ♂ 25–32 mm ♀ 28-36 mm. Sexes very similar; variable.
Female paler, almost totally orange in arid areas.

Distribution
Botswana, Namibia, South Africa (Free State Province – south-west, Eastern Cape Province, Western Cape Province, Northern Cape Province).

Habitat
The nominate subspecies occurs in Karoo, succulent Karoo and arid savanna.

Biology
Flight period: all year in warmer areas and from September to April in cooler areas.

Links:
Metamorphosis
https://books.google.de/books?id=Og9bDw ... ex&f=false