Category: Western Cape

The Citrus Swallowtail is one of the Papilionidae (Swallowtails and Swordtails). Although it’s called a ‘Swallowtail’ its hindwings lack the long tails that its relatives have.

Citrus Swallowtail is a large and conspicuous butterfly with a powerful flight and the restless nature typical of Swallowtails. Males (wingspan 100-120mm) patrol large territories looking for females and food sources. They are often found congregating on wet sand and mud around water sources.

Females (wingspan 110-130mm) are found on flowers and close to their host plants. The sexes are similar; females have an orange tint to the cream ring around a large eyespot at the upper corner of the hindwing (not visible here). 

Citrus Swallowtail is active from spring to autumn but it often peaks in midsummer. This is the reason for its other name, Christmas Butterfly. 

The Meadow White is one of the Pieridae (Whites, Tips and Yellows) subfamily Pierinae (Whites and Tips).

Meadow White is a small to medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of 35-45mm. Its markings resemble the common migratory Pioneer Caper White Belenois aurota, but it flies more slowly and lower down. It settles often and is fond of flower nectar. It’s a pretty little insect with its underside marked in shades of green and yellow. The sexes are similar, with the female having black marks at the inner margin of the forewing and along the outer margin of the hindwings where the males are plain white.

Meadow White is often one of the first butterflies to emerge in spring. 

The Common Diadem is one of the Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies), subfamily Nymphalinae (Admirals, Pansies etc.).

The male Common Diadem is an amazing sight. His upper side is jet black with a large white blotch in the middle of each wing. Each blotch is ringed with a shifting iridescent blue lustre which is only visible from certain angles. His underside is attractive as well. 

This butterfly is an example of what we call sexual dimorphism, in which females and males look totally different. The female Common Diadem looks like an African Plain Tiger, because she mimics that butterfly to gain protection against predators who have learned to avoid that bad-tasting butterfly. 

The Common Diadem’s wingspan is like that of an African Plain Tiger – 60-80 mm.

A Common Diadem has a more nervous and active flight than an African Plain Tiger, and when it lands it will constantly move its wings up and down. We call this ‘pumping’.

African Grass Blues are tiny (wingspan 18-24 mm), low-flying butterflies in the Lycaenidae (Gossamer-winged Butterflies), subfamily Polyommatinae (Blues, Bronzes, Hairstreaks etc.). Blues are tiny to small butterflies, many of which have brilliant blue uppersides (although some are dull grey or brown). 

The sexes differ slightly on their upper sides. Male African Grass Blues are shiny violet-blue above with a well-defined grey wing margin. They differ from their females which are charcoal grey with the bases of the wings being sky blue with ill-defined margins. The underside of both sexes has patterns of grey-brown spots and arrow-marks on a whitish grey ground.  

African Grass Blues fly very low and spend most of their time in the grass – hence their common name. They feed on low-growing flowers and like to sit on damp earth and mud, sucking up dissolved minerals. The sexes fly together and engage in courtship when they encounter one another.

Zebra Blues are small (wingspan 20-30 mm) low-flying butterflies in the Lycaenidae (Gossamer-winged Butterflies), subfamily Polyommatinae (Blues, Bronzes, Hairstreaks etc.). Blues are tiny to small butterflies, many of which have brilliant blue uppersides (although some are dull grey or brown). 

The image with upper sides shows a pair in courtship mode prior to mating. Male Zebra Blues (left) are shiny blue above and differ from their females (right) which have a checkerboard pattern of grey on a white and blue ground. The undersides have irregular grey stripes on a white ground, resulting in their common name. Like many Lycaenidae they have short hindwing tails positioned next to prominent eyespots (particularly on the underside) that create a predator-confusing ‘false head’ effect.

There are four species of Leptotes Zebra Blue. Common Zebra Blue Leptotes pirithous, Short-toothed Zebra Blue L. brevidentatus, Jeannel’s Zebra Blue L. jeanneli, and Babault’s Zebra Blue L. babaulti, which have identical wing markings to one another. The only way to tell them apart is to dissect them and that means killing the butterfly. Who wants to do that? Most of the ones we see are the Common Zebra Blue; it really is just that; common!

Males choose a perch on top of a bush or on a prominent rock and fly off to chase other butterflies. They settle often and readily open their wings to reveal the upper side. They also like to sit on damp earth and mud, sucking up dissolved minerals. They may also suck nutrients from old bones or carnivore dung. Females are found close to the host plants or on flowers.

There are four species of Black-eyes in South Africa, all in the Lycaenidae (Gossamer-winged Butterflies), subfamily Polyommatinae (Blues, Bronzes, Hairstreaks etc.). Three of these are very similar to one another, are found in differing parts of the country, and all occur in gardens. The fourth species, Tailed Black-eye Leptomyrina hirundo, is smaller, has a dark blue upper side, and has long hindwing tails. It is seldom seen in gardens.

These are small (wingspan 20-30mm) low-flying butterflies found across South Africa’s provinces. Cape Black-eye occurs in the Fynbos and Karoo biomes, Brown Black-eye in the central savanna and grasslands, and Lilac-based Black-eye on the mountains and on the seaward side of the Great Escarpment. 

They have in common warm brown upper sides and a prominent white-ringed black eyespot at the lower corners of the forewings. Cape Black-eye has a coppery shade similar to the Plain Black-eye, and the Lilac-based Black-eye, as its name suggests, has greyish-mauve bases to the upper sides of the wings. The undersides of all of them are whitish-grey with dark speckles.

Males choose a perch on the side of a bush or on a prominent rock and fly off to chase other butterflies. They fly fast but settle often and readily open their wings to reveal the upper side. The females exhibit similar coloration and patterning as the males; however, they possess broader wings, exhibit slower flight, and are frequently observed on flowers. 

The Pea Blue (which is also known as ‘Long-tailed Blue’) is one of the Lycaenidae (Gossamer-winged Butterflies), subfamily Polyommatinae (Blues, Bronzes, Hairstreaks etc.). Blues are tiny to small butterflies, many of which have brilliant blue uppersides (although some are dull grey or brown). 

The male Pea Blue’s wingspan is 24-32 mm, the female’s, 24-34mm.

Males choose a perch on a tall herb or on a prominent rock and fly off to chase other butterflies. They fly extremely fast but settle often and readily open their wings to reveal the upper side. Males are bright blue above with patches of darker blue which are visible in flight, making them unmistakable to the trained eye. Females are a duller shade of blue with wide grey-brown borders and white marks around the edges of the hindwings. They are more often found on flowers and around their host plants.

The underside of both sexes’ wings is warm grey crossed by fine white bands and a thicker band along the outer edge of the hindwing. Each hindwing carries a short tail close to two black spots on both wing surfaces, that give the impression of a ‘false head’ as do many other ‘Blues’.