Charaxes etesipe

Charaxes etesipe
Charaxes etesipe etesipe from Cameroon.

Mounted specimen, dorsal view

Charaxes etesipe etesipe from Cameroon.

Mounted specimen, ventral view

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Tribe: Charaxini
Genus: Charaxes
Species: C. etesipe
Binomial name
Charaxes etesipe
(Godart, 1824)[1]
Synonyms
  • Nymphalis etesipe Godart, 1824
  • Nymphalis etheta Godart, 1824
  • Charaxes etesipe etesipe f. castoroides Poulton, 1926
  • Charaxes etesipe f. caeruleotincta Carpenter, 1945
  • Charaxes tavetensis Rothschild, 1894

The Savannah Charaxes or Scarce Forest Emperor (Charaxes etesipe) is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family.

Description

The wingspan is 35–38 millimetres (1.4–1.5 in) for male. The females are larger, reaching 37–45 millimetres (1.5–1.8 in).

The uppersides of the forewings are blackish blue with greenish tint. The outer margin are generally denticulate, with a series of white discal spots. In the hindwings of both sexes there are short tails and a complete series of large pale blue patches. The undersides of the wings are variegated with cream and drab colours.

Adults are on wing from August to October and from March to June. There are two generations per year.[2]

The larvae of ssp. tavetensis feed on Afzelia quanzensis, Dalbergia nitidula, Securidaca longipeduncularis and Margaritaria discoidea. Other subspecies have been recorded on Entada and Afzelia quanzensis.

Distribution

This species can be found in tropical East and West Africa and in Madagascar.

Taxonomy

Charaxes etesipe is a member of the species group Charaxes etesipe

The clade members are

Subspecies

Subspecies gallery

Gallery of References

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

External links

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