TRIP REPORT
Visit to Durban
with Joe Thompson and Eduardo Carriazo
Joe had engaged me to run a Durban butterflying pre-tour for a Greenwings botanical tour of the Drakensberg. I was looking forward to meeting them and showing them around our special Durban butterfly spots.
They arrived in Durban on the afternoon of Wednesday January 15. We went to the Summerhill Estate hotel and spent a short time planning over a drink. The effects of such a long west to east journey were clearly having their effects so my clients had an early night.
Day 1 - Thursday, January 16
Nkonka Trust reserve and Giba Gorge Mountbatten Place grasslands
Nkonka Trust has a fine hilltopping site above a well-maintained area of endangered KwaZulu-Natal Sandstone Sourveld Grassland. When we arrived the weather was cloudy, but the sun broke through on several occasions, which is normal for this area at this time of year.
The hilltop and surrounding grasslands were productive when the sun was shining. Hilltopping specimens of Southern Gaudy Commodore Precis octavia sesamus, the summer form natalensis, were flying as well as Dark Blue Pansy Junonia oenone oenone and Garden Inspector/Commodore Precis archesia.
Southern Gaudy Commodore
Precis octavia sesamus
Dark Blue Pansy
Junonia oenone oenone
There was a large clump of tall vegetation (mainly Leonotis leonurus, Lion’s Tail) that was attracting butterflies. A male Brown Playboy Deudorix antalus was perching on the leaves.
We relaxed on the hilltop and chatted whilst we waited for breaks in the cloud. We also took a walk down into the lower grassland to see if there was anything different there and show Joe and Eduardo the habitat for the Amakosa Rocksitter Durbania amakosa flavida whose flight period had ended recently. We found some blues we hadn’t seen at the top, like Rayed Blue Actizera lucida as well as a Polka Dot, Pardopsis punctatissima. One of the targets on Joe’s list.
Rayed Blue
Actizera lucida
Polka Dot
Pardopsis punctatissima
Later at the hilltop we succeeded in finding another target species, Light Red Acraea, Rubraea nohara nohara. This is a real moist grassland special and one I was hoping to lead the tour to.
Light Red Acraea
Rubraea nohara nohara male
Brown Playboy
Deudorix antalus male
This is Eduardo and Joe photographing the Light Red Acraea. Nkonka (which means Bushbuck in Zulu) produced the goods!
Later that afternoon we visited another piece of KwaZulu-Natal Sandstone Sourveld Grassland above Giba Gorge on another spur of the Kloof highlands to the west. The weather had closed in and butterflies were scarce – an African Plain Tiger Danaus chrysippus and a Black-bordered Babul Blue put in an appearance.
There were some interesting birds – a Long-crested Eagle and a large flock of White Storks. At this stage we called it a day to be well rested for a trip to the coastal forests the next day.
Day 2 - Friday, January 17
Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve
We made an early start and were inside the reserve by just after 8am. We parked in the middle car park and set off along the forest edge up the hill towards the western side of the reserve. The weather was intermittently cloudy, but it was warm – good conditions for butterfly photography.
There were plenty about, including Vine-leaf Vagrant Eronia cleodora in good numbers, one that Joe had mentioned he wanted to see. There were also plenty of Mocker Swallowtails Papilio dardanus cenea and Narrow Green-banded Swallowtails Papilio nireus lyaeus, as well as Lycaenids like Natal Babul Blue Azanus natalensis and Purple-brown Hairstreak Hypolycaena philippus.
Vine-leaf Vagrant
Eronia cleodora
Barbet Percher
Diplacodes luminans male
We came to a high point in the grassland that had a few good dragonflies like Red Basker Urothemis assignata, Barbet Percher Diplacodes luminans, Eastern Blacktail Nesciothemis farinose and various Orthetrum (Skimmer) species.
Red Basker
Urothemis assignata male
Soldier Pansy
Junonia elgiva
I knew a good spot for Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus, and it didn’t disappoint, with a flock of around six individuals perching on bushes, hawking insects out of the air. Along the way we saw three of South Africa’s five Pansy butterflies – Brown, Junonia natalica, Blue, J. oenone, and Soldier, J. elgiva.
Below the Bee-eater locality there is a lake that is usually productive for both Lepidoptera and Odonata. We also found some Swarthy Sprites Pseudagrion hamoni as well as a specimen of Phantom Flutterer Rhyothemis semihyalina, which are rare in the Durban area. The Swarthy Sprites were a lifer for me.
Swarthy Sprite
Pseudagrion hamoni male
Little Bee-eater
Merops pusillus
We saw White-tipped Ash Blues Eicochrysops hippocrates, a wetland specialist butterfly.
As we walked back to the car park a fresh male Spotted Ciliate Blue Anthene larydas dropped out of a bush at the side of the path and proceeded to pose beautifully. He was photographed a lot!
Mating White-tipped Ash Blues
Eicochrysops hippocrates
Spotted Ciliate Blue
Anthene larydas male
We went to the ‘top’ picnic site to see if there was anything hilltopping there. Apart from a few Papilio species and lots of Boisduval’s Tree Nymph Sevenia boisduvali there wasn’t a lot about, but we did find another target species there – Bronze Tree Nymph Sevenia natalensis.
We only got a glimpse of him because he flushed off the ground and shot into the canopy never to return. But the upperside colour was unmistakable. Another one for the target list.
Female Dark Wanderer
Bematistes aganice aganice
Female Blonde Glider
Cymothoë coranus coranus
After a picnic lunch under the Flat-Crown trees at the top we decided to head down to the lower part of the reserve. We checked in at Coedmore Castle but the Aloes and Bougainvillea were not in flower so there wasn’t a lot about.
Male Black-based Acraea
Stephenia natalica
Southern False Chief
Pseudacraea lucretia tarquinia
We parked at the gate and set off down the road that leads to the southeastern border of the reserve. The forest is a lot thicker here and I’ve usually found different butterflies here. No sooner had we crossed the little bridge across the stream below the car park than we saw a couple of female Dark Wanderers Bematistes aganice (another for the hit list) ovipositing on the host plant Mamba Greenstem Adenia gummifera and found a few larvae of Black-based Acraea Stephenia natalica eating it.
Just around the corner we found some Blonde Gliders Cymothoë coranus coranus sucking at rotting leaves on the road – another target acquired!
That road continued to produce good sightings. There was bright fresh Black-based Acraea Stephenia natalica male and a larva of Southern False Chief Pseudacraea lucretia tarquinia. We had a brief sighting of Boisduval’s False Acraea Pseudacraea boisduvalii trimenii as it helicoptered off into the canopy – another target acquired. Variable Diadem Hypolimnas anthedon wahlbergi appeared.
But the sighting of the afternoon was a fresh Green-veined Charaxes Charaxes candiope, or to be precise, two of them. We first spotted them in the canopy then one of them came low and started investigating a rock at the side of the track. Charaxes had been scarce this season and my attempts to entice them to banana bait in Gillitts had drawn a blank, so I took no bait with me.
Clearly the season had started! Joe ended up with some superb images.
Male Green-veined Charaxes
Charaxes candiope
Male Green-veined Charaxes
Charaxes candiope
There were some Spotted Sailers Neptis saclava marpessa, and a frustrating butterfly that we all agreed was the rare (south of the Tugela) Streaked Sailer Neptis goochi. I had seen this one in Kloof before and I was keen to get a confirmed sighting in Durban, but it kept dissolving into the bush in that annoying way that Neptis have. In total we got 45 butterflies in Kenneth Stainbank Nature Reserve.
That evening, I took Joe to my local iPhithi Nature Reserve to give his LepiLed system a run. The reserve is in the middle of a suburb so light pollution is a bit of an issue, but it was a warm and misty night.
We only got one big Saturniid, Wahlberg’s Emperor, Nudaurelia wahlbergii, which was skittish and refused to sit still for the camera. It’s the commonest big Saturniid in the area and I have them breeding in my garden about a kilometre away, so it might even have been one of mine!
It was a case of quality rather than quantity. The Crambids were out.
Wahlberg’s Emperor
Nudaurelia wahlbergii
The lake at the reserve has a lot of Nymphaea waterlilies and we found two species of the aquatic Acentropinae that use it as host plant– Parapoynx fluctuosalis on the trap and a tiny specimen of Parapoynx diminutalis flushed as we walked back to the car. There was a beautiful Pearl (Spilomelinae), Glyphodes stolalis.
In addition, we found a lovely Geometrid, the Neptune’s Vestal Traminda neptunaria, one of the Sterrhinae that breeds in my garden. Other moths we found were the Yellow Flag Cerynea thermesialis, a Boletobiine Erebid, and another Erebid, Robust Tabby Pandesma robusta.
Parapoynx
diminutalis
Day 3 - Saturday, January 18
Monteseel Grasslands
The weather forecast was the best of the tour with clear and sunny weather promised. We set off for Monteseel, a picturesque grassland on the edge of the Umgeni Valley (Valley of a thousand hills). This area had been producing some good sightings on my reconnaissance trips over the previous few days. We arrived at just after 8am to find one of my local butterflyer friends, Peter Smith, already at the main Rosemarie Avenue hilltop.
There were a reasonable number of Southern Gaudy Commodores hilltopping as well as Garden Commodores, Sulphur Orange Tip Colotis auxo auxo, and Painted Lady Vanessa cardui. Joe saw a Yellow Pansy Junonia hierta cebrene and the Meadow Blues Cupidopsis cissus cissus that frequent this spot were well out –
Joe and Eduardo got good images of these including a nice mating pair.
Male Basuto Skolly
Thestor basuta
Female Basuto Skolly
Thestor basuta
Male Yellow Russet
Aloeides aranda
Mating pair of Meadow Blues
Cupidopsis cissus
When we had exhausted the possibilities at the hilltop, we went a short way down the road to the spot where I had found a few Yellow Russets Aloeides aranda a week earlier. We had to hunt around but eventually we found one. There was also a glorious specimen of the Pirate, Catacroptera cloanthe, one of the specialities of the area.
We even found an interesting orchid, Death Orchid, Habenaria dives, which I was glad about because Joe and Eduardo’s main tour is to see our Orchids. This species is used as a death charm by Zulu people, but I am reassured that it’s harmless!
Pirate
Catacroptera cloanthe
Death Orchid
Habenaria dives
Our next stop was the large open grassland at St. Andries Street on the northern edge of Monteseel near the N3 highway. This is a well-known butterfly hot spot that is also good for orchids. We found more Death Orchids there as well as a specimen of Black-faced Orchid Corycium nigrescens that had gone to seed. It’s also a good spot for the Blushing Bride Satyrium, Satyrium longicauda, and there were quite a few in flower. There’s always something botanically interesting at this spot and today the colony of Drooping Agapanthus, Agapanthus inapertus, had begun to flower.
We had come to look for butterflies and the place didn’t disappoint. The place is carpeted with Spade Flower Pigea enneasperma, host plant of Polka Dot Pardopsis punctatissima. The plant, sadly, wasn’t in flower but the Polka Dots were everywhere. It was great to see one of the target species out in numbers. It was also good to see the abundance of Basuto Skolly, Thestor basuta.
These are endemic to southern Africa and are ecologically fascinating. They always occur in grassland areas with termite mounds and colonies of Pugnacious Ant Anaplolepis custodiens, as well as species of Homoptera. The ecological relationship between these and the butterflies isn’t known for certain, but the St. Andries grassland has a huge colony of Basuto Skollies, and they put on a show for us. I have never seen so many of them so active as today.
The females were fluttering around the ant colonies in the grass, laying eggs on the ant trails, and Joe got some good shots of them in flight.
We walked down the hill towards the lake and the spot where I usually see a Yellow Zulu or two.
One female must have known she was on a performance assessment because she turned up on the path as they often do. The wind was blowing strongly but some good photographs were taken.
Female Yellow Zulu
Alaena amazoula
Eduardo and Joe
on the Zulu Trail at Monteseel
The Skollies were flying almost all the way to the lake which was much further than we usually see them. We went back to the car for lunch and on the way back a beautiful fresh Pirate showed up. By this time the day was getting old, but we decided to call in at Giba Gorge – this time the lower section – to see if any forest species were still on the wing.
The track was almost in shadow by the time we got there but we managed to get some more records. African Angled Grass Yellow Terias desjardinsii regularis was on the damp mud, a Bush Bronze Cacyreus lingeus was on the flowers and Joe and Eduardo found an East African Snout, Libythea laius. These are occasionally found at Giba but not often so that was a good sighting.
The area around the bridge over the Giba stream had some good Odonata. Joe and Eduardo found some Goldtail Damsels Allocnemis leucosticta posing happily, and I found a female Dancing Jewel Platycypha caligata. I hadn’t seen one of this genus in Giba before and at first I thought she was the rarer Boulder Jewel, Platycypha fitzsimoni, but I was corrected later by one of the
Odonata experts on iNaturalist. It was still a pretty cool sighting!
With this we called it a day on the final full day of the mini-tour. We agreed to meet early the next day and go to a place where I had seen good butterflies on past visits, not far from the guesthouse.
Male Goldtail
Allocnemis leucosticta
Female Dancing Jewel
Platycypha caligata
Day 4 - Sunday, January 19
Mariannwood Nature Reserve
This was the last morning of the tour, and we needed to get to the airport by around 11:30am, so Joe and Eduardo packed and left their luggage at Summerhill. We set off on the short distance to Mariannwood with the sun well out, but some clouds gathered as we approached. This is a small municipal reserve with a path that follows a forest edge below a housing estate, and it is usually good for the local woodland species. The butterflies were waking up as we walked along the track. Eduardo got a photo of Common Mother-of-Pearl Protogoniomorpha parhassus when he went to look for Joe’s missing umbrella!
We saw some of the target species – Satyr Charaxes Charaxes ethalion ethalion, a female Bloodred Acraea Rubraea petraea which led us a merry dance, and a Yellow-banded Telchinia Telchinia cabira that played hard to get to begin with but posed beautifully in the end. A bonus was a fresh Eastern Gold-spotted Sylph Metisella metis paris and a glimpse of a Southern White-barred Charaxes Charaxes brutus natalensis as it flew around the canopy.
Female Blood-red Acraea
Rubraea petraea
Male Yellow-banded Telchinia
Telchinia cabira
Eastern Gold-spotted Sylph
Metisella metis paris
Common Mother of Pearl
Protogoniomorpha parhassus
conclusion
In the space of 3.5 days, we saw or photographed 77 species of butterfly, and at least 10 species of moth and 11 species of Odonata. These are listed in the appendix. The conditions were not optimal with cloud and drizzle much of the time. The 18th was the best day and Monteseel produced some good sightings with several targets being hit. Having said that, every day produced results as well as the one-night moth trapping session. Joe and Eduardo managed to see several of our butterfly specialities as well as some good Odonata.