Mountain pride | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Nymphalidae |
Subfamily: | Satyrinae |
Tribe: | Melanitini (?) |
Genus: | Aeropetes Billberg, 1820 |
Species: | A. tulbaghia |
Binomial name | |
Aeropetes tulbaghia (Linnaeus, 1764) | |
Range across South Africa, Lesotho and Eswatini (also in eastern Zimbabwe) | |
Synonyms | |
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Aeropetes is a monotypic butterfly genus in the family Nymphalidae. Its only species, Aeropetes tulbaghia, is commonly known as the Table Mountain beauty or mountain pride. It is native to southern Africa, where it occurs in South Africa, Lesotho, Eswatini and Zimbabwe. [2]
The sexes are similar, but males are on average smaller. The wingspan is 70–78 mm for males and 75–90 mm for females.
Aeropetes is commonly found in mountainous, rock-strewn hillsides and gullies. It has a tendency to settle on the shady side of rocks and of overhung stream banks. [3]
The larvae feed on various Poaceae species, including Ehrharta erecta , Hyparrhenia hirta and Pennisetum clandestinum . The adults are fond of red or orange flowers, [3] and it is the only pollinator of the orchids Disa uniflora and Disa ferruginea . There is one generation per year. [4] [5]
Adults are on the wing during the austral summer, from November to April (with peaks from December to March).[ citation needed ]
The butterfly is found throughout the fynbos bio-region of South Africa, besides parts of the Nama Karoo and grassland areas in the Western and Northern Cape, Free State and Gauteng provinces of South Africa. It occurs fairly commonly along the mountain ranges of the Great Escarpment and Eastern Highlands, which includes parts of the Western and Eastern Cape, Lesotho, KwaZulu-Natal, Eswatini, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, [3] and eastern Zimbabwe.
Lepidochrysops oosthuizeni, Oosthuizen's blue, is a species of butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Lesotho and South Africa, where it is found on high altitude grassland and Nama Karoo on the Witteberg in the East Cape and the Maluti Mountains in Lesotho and the eastern Orange Free State.
Disa uniflora, the red disa or pride of Table Mountain, is a South African species of orchid in the family Orchidaceae. It is the type species of the genus Disa, and one of its best-known members. It is occasionally referred to by its old name Disa grandiflora.
Colotis euippe is a butterfly of the family Pieridae that is found in the Afrotropical realm.
Axiocerses tjoane, the eastern scarlet, common scarlet or scarlet butterfly, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in East and southern Africa.
Trida barberae, or Barber's ranger, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in southern Africa, from the Cape Province to Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Transvaal, the Free State and KwaZulu-Natal.
Pseudonympha magoides, the false silver-bottom brown, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in South Africa, from the Western Cape to the Eastern Cape, along the Drakensberg foothills into Lesotho, KwaZulu-Natal, Eswatini, Mpumalanga, north to the Wolkberg. It is also found in Free State and Gauteng.
Coeliades pisistratus, the two-pip policeman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae that occurs commonly in much of sub-Saharan Africa.
Spialia asterodia, the star sandman or Asterodia sandman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in South Africa from the western Cape to the southern part of the north Cape and across the east Cape to Lesotho, the Free State, Eswatini, western KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, the Limpopo Province, the eastern North West Province and Gauteng. It is also present in southern Mozambique and Zimbabwe. The habitat consists of grassland and grassy areas in fynbos, Karoo and Bushveld.
Spialia diomus, the common sandman or Diomus grizzled skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in tropical Africa and south-western Arabia.
Metisella syrinx, the bamboo sylph or bamboes-walsertjie, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is a rare and highly localised species which is only known from South Africa in the eastern Cape, through southern Lesotho to the extreme south of KwaZulu-Natal. The habitat consists of rocky areas on the summits of mountains, in montane grassland.
Dotta callicles, the pale ranger, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in South Africa, Eswatini, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.
Gegenes niso, the common Hottentot skipper or plain Hottentot skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Africa. It is found in a wide range of habitats, including savanna, grassland and open patches in forests.
Iolaus sidus, the red-line sapphire or red-line sapphire blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found from South Africa to Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and then to Kenya and Uganda. In South Africa it is found from the coastal woodland in the Eastern Cape to Tongaland and Bedford, the thorn belt of KwaZulu-Natal and then to Eswatini and Mpumalanga.
Leptomyrina lara, the Cape black-eye, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, in fynbos, Nama Karoo and Succulent Karoo throughout the Western Cape to the Eastern Cape, the eastern parts of Free State, the mountains of Lesotho and Northern Cape.
Cacyreus tespis, the water bronze or water blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found from South Africa to Ethiopia.
Colotis evenina, the common orange tip, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae. It is found in the Afrotropical realm.
Lepidochrysops lerothodi, the Lesotho blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found mainly found in Lesotho. In South Africa it is only found on high mountain peaks in the Golden Gate Highlands in Limpopo province, the Free State and the Eastern Cape.
Nepheronia buquetii, the plain vagrant, Buquet's vagrant, or green-eyed monster, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae. It is found throughout Africa.
Cupidopsis cissus, the common meadow blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in most of Africa, south of the Sahara.
Disa ferruginea also known as the cluster disa, is a species of orchid from South Africa.