Amauris echeria

Amauris echeria
Amauris echeria from Erythrea. Mounted specimen
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Amauris
Species:	A. echeria
Binomial name
Amauris echeria (Stoll, [1790])
Synonyms
Papilio echeria Stoll, [1790] Amauris echerioides Weistman, 1913 Amauris echeria imatongensis Talbot, 1941 Amauris echeria jacksoni f. luxuriosa Talbot, 1940 Amauris echeria vaal Talbot, 1940 Danais vaillantiana Godart, 1819 Amauris lobengula abessinica Schmidt, 1921 Amauris fernandina Schultze, 1914 Amauris jacksoni Sharpe, 1892 Amauris lobengula katangae Neave, 1910 Nebroda lobengula Sharpe, 1890 Amauris lobengula mongallensis Carpenter, 1928 Amauris lobengula septentrionis Poulton, 1924 Amauris steckeri Kheil, 1890 Amauris whytei Butler, 1894

The Chief (Amauris echeria) is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is found in southern Africa.

The wingspan is 55–65 mm for males and 63-70 for females. Adults are on wing year round (with peaks in summer and autumn).^[1]

The larvae feed on Tylophora anomala, Tylophora stolzii, Cynanchum chirindense, Gymnema (including Gymnema sylvestre), Marsdenia (including Marsdenia angolensis and Marsdenia racemosa) and Secamone (including Secamone africana and Secamone parviflora).^[2]

Subspecies

• Amauris echeria echeria (Cape to Natal, Zululand, Transvaal)
• Amauris echeria abessinica Schmidt, 1921 (Eritrea, northern Ethiopia)
• Amauris echeria chyuluensis van Someren, 1939 (south-eastern Kenya (Chyulu, Sagala, Emali, Teita))
• Amauris echeria contracta Talbot, 1940 (western Kenya, Kitale)
• Amauris echeria fernandina Schultze, 1914 (Fernando Póo (Macías Nguema Island))
• Amauris echeria jacksoni Sharpe, 1892 (Kenya west of the Rift Valley)
• Amauris echeria katangae Neave, 1910 (southern Zaire (southern Shaba), Zambia)
• Amauris echeria kikuyu Talbot, 1940 (eastern Kenya (Katamayu to Meru, Nyambeni))
• Amauris echeria lobengula (Sharpe, 1890) (Rhodesia, southern Mozambique, southern Malawi (Mount Mlanje))
• Amauris echeria meruensis Talbot, 1940 (northern Tanzania (Arusha, Moshi, Nogorongoro))
• Amauris echeria mongallensis Carpenter, 1928 (southern Sudan, northern Uganda)
• Amauris echeria mpala Talbot, 1940 (highlands of Zaire)
• Amauris echeria occidentalis Schmidt, 1921 (Cameroon)
• Amauris echeria septentrionis Poulton, 1924 (northern Kenya (Marsabit, Nyiro, Kulal))
• Amauris echeria serica Talbot, 1940 (southern Tanzania, northern Malawi)
• Amauris echeria steckeri Kheil, 1890 (southern Ethiopia, western Ethiopia, southern Sudan)
• Amauris echeria terrena Talbot, 1940 (western Uganda, eastern Zaire, north-western Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi)
• Amauris echeria whytei Butler, 1894 (southern Malawi (Zomba Plateau))

References

1. Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town:Struik Publishers, 2005.
2. Amauris, Site of Markku Savela

• Seitz, A. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 24 nominate and jacksoni Sharpe, 1892
  • Seitz, A. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 25 ssp. lobengula misspelling