EASY GARDEN BUTTERFLIES
Pearl CharaxesCharaxes varanes varanes
The Pearl Charaxes or Pearl Emperor is one of the Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies), subfamily Charaxinae (Emperors, Queens etc.). It’s one of our most charismatic butterflies.
When seen flying against a backdrop of deep green vegetation their pearly white and orange wings look almost luminous. It’s an unforgettable sight. By contrast their undersides look like dead leaves. The camouflage is highly effective.
The Charaxes are the swashbuckling ‘big flashies’ of the butterfly world. They aren’t typical garden butterflies because they tend not to visit flowers, preferring to inhabit the forest canopy. There they fly high, engaging in aerial battles with other big butterflies and even birds. They are usually regarded as being wild species that are scarce and difficult to observe.
Having said that though, there are a few species whose caterpillar host plants are often found in gardens. This is one of them. Its wingspan is from 60 to 90mm making it one of the biggest garden butterflies.
Although it’s not a regular nectar feeder an adult Pearl Charaxes has been known to visit large flowers like Strelitzia. It is not difficult to observe them in a garden setting. The kind of fruit bait people use to attract fruit-eating birds works on these. They are not as strongly attracted to dung and carrion as other Charaxes species are.
Distribution
The Pearl Charaxes is found commonly on the eastern side of South Africa in coastal, montane, and riverine forests. Its range stretches from Mossel Bay to Limpopo. From the Eastern Cape northwards, it’s found from the coast to the mountains. In the Lowveld it can be seen anywhere close to a forest or thick woodland.
The species is found widely across tropical sub-Saharan Africa.
Egg
Pearl Charaxes
Charaxes varanes varanes
Charaxes lay their eggs singly, on the surface of leaves. They are large and almost spherical with flattened tops carrying fine ribs radiating from the centre . When freshly laid they are pale yellow to green, developing a dark ring around the upper surface if fertile.
Pearl Charaxes eggs are 1.25mm high and 1.5mm in diameter. The egg stage lasts about nine days, then the young larva eats its way out and usually consumes the empty shell.
Caterpillar
Pearl Charaxes
Charaxes varanes varanes
Charaxes caterpillars have characteristic ‘head shields’ in the shape of a hand with the ‘fingers’ (known as ‘horns’) pointing back towards their body. They have roughly cylindrical bodies with no hair or spines, and a forked or ‘bifid’ tail. They usually have a characteristic marking on the middle of the back. The skin is finely rough with many tiny warts.
Young caterpillars’ head shields are usually dark and large in proportion to their bodies. As they grow the colour changes to match the (usually green) colour of the body. They eat leaves from the edges and spin a silken pad that they rest on between feeding sessions.
Fully grown Pearl Charaxes larvae are deep green with large, splayed head horns. They have two or three whitish bird-shaped marks on the back.
They grow from 4.5mm to about 52mm over four moults. The process usually takes about about five weeks but it can take a lot longer in winter when they enter diapause.
Pupa/Chrysalis
Pearl Charaxes
Charaxes varanes varanes
Pearl Charaxes
Charaxes varanes varanes
The Pearl Charaxes pupa is green and egg-shaped. Like all Nymphalidae pupae it is attached to its substrate by its tail. It is usually formed on the same silken pad the caterpillar used as a resting perch during its development.
The pupa is 25-28mm long and the adult usually emerges after 2-3 weeks. This may take longer in unfavourable conditions. Before emergence the pupal shell becomes transparent and the adult inside becomes visible.
Host plants
Pearl Charaxes caterpillar host plants are common trees and shrubs so if you plant them in the garden the butterfly will arrive by itself. They include Dune False-currant Allophylus natalensis, African False-currant A. africanus and Simple-leaved False-currant A. dregeanus. They also use Dune Currant Searsia laevigata and Spiny Currant S. longispina.
Dune False-currant
Allophylus natalensis
Dune False-currant
Allophylus natalensis
How to attract them
Gardeners wishing to attract this butterfly would need to commit to planting a tree, but False-currants do not grow very large and prefer the understorey. They are attractive trees whose flowers’ nectar is very attractive to butterflies.
Nectar plants are not the best way to attract this butterfly. Deliberate baiting with fermenting fruit is the secret to success.
Pearl Charaxes
on rotten banana
Pearl Charaxes
on leaking tree sap