| Silver-barred emperor | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Charaxes |
| Species: | C. druceanus |
| Binomial name | |
| Charaxes druceanus | |
| Synonyms | |
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Charaxes druceanus, the silver-barred emperor or silver-barred charaxes, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found throughout tropical Africa. [2]
The wingspan is 55–70 mm in males and 65–85 mm in females. Ch. druceanus Btlr. is above similar to Charaxes phraortes and Charaxes andranodorus , but has the basal part of the upper surface darker chestnut-brown, so that the median band is sharply defined proximally; the marginal spots of both wings are large and form on the hindwing a continuous band; the hindwing is not tailed at vein 3; the black submarginal band on both wings is considerably narrower than in phraortes and andranodorus. The ground-colour of the under surface is rust-brown and the white markings have a beautiful silver gloss; the black transverse markings in the basal part of the hindwing are much reduced and only represented by fine streaks; as in andranodorus cellules 7 and 8 each have only one black spot or transverse streak, and even this may sometimes be absent; the median band of the hindwing is posteriorly much narrowed and is unicolorous or only in cellules 2—4 with a black streak at its proximal side. Congo, Angola, Nyassaland, Zambesi, Transvaal, Natal. [3]
Its flight period is year-round. [4] The larvae feed on various Syzygium species (including Syzygium cordatum and Syzygium guineense ), Bersama abyssinica , [2] [4] Eugenia species, and Astropanax goetzenii .
Notes on the biology of druceanus are given by Pringle et al (1994) [5]
Coastal belt and forest edges up to more than 5,000 m.
Listed alphabetically: [2]
Curle & Curle describe a hybrid of Charaxes druceanus and Charaxes brutus [16]
Historical attempts to assemble a cluster of presumably related species into a "Charaxes jasius Group" have not been wholly convincing. More recent taxonomic revision, [17] corroborated by phylogenetic research, allow a more rational grouping congruent with cladistic relationships. Within a well-populated clade of 27 related species sharing a common ancestor approximately 16 mya during the Miocene, [18] 26 are now considered together as The jasius Group. [17] One of the two lineages within this clade forms a robust monophyletic group of seven species sharing a common ancestor approximately 2-3 mya, i.e. during the Pliocene, [18] and are considered as the jasius subgroup. [17] The second lineage leads to 19 other species within the Jasius group, which are split into three well-populated subgroups of closely related species.
The jasius Group (26 Species): [17]
Clade 1: jasius subgroup (7 species)
Clade 2: contains the well-populated three additional subgroups (19 species) of the jasius Group: called the brutus, pollux, and eudoxus subgroups. [17]
Further exploration of the phylogenetic relationships amongst existing Charaxes taxa is required to improve clarity.
The rajah and pasha butterflies, also known as emperors in Africa and Australia, make up the huge type genus of the brush-footed butterfly subfamily Charaxinae, or leafwing butterflies. They belong to the tribe Charaxini, which also includes the nawab butterflies (Polyura). Charaxes are tropical Old World butterflies, with by far the highest diversity in sub-Saharan Africa, a smaller number from South Asia to Melanesia and Australia, and a single species in Europe. They are generally strong flyers and very popular among butterfly collectors.
Charaxes brutus, the white-barred emperor or white-barred Charaxes, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Africa.
Charaxes castor, the giant emperor or giant charaxes, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found throughout the Afrotropical realm below the Sahel.
Charaxes xiphares, the forest king emperor or forest king charaxes, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is native to Afromontane forest in the eastern and southern Afrotropical realm.
Charaxes lactetinctus, the blue patch charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and possibly Sudan.
Charaxes legeri, the St. Leger's charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in southern Burkina Faso, northern Benin, northern Nigeria and southern Niger. The habitat consists of woodland savanna at altitudes between 600 and 1,700 meters.
Charaxes hansali, the cream-banded charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman.
Charaxes junius is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Ethiopia and Sudan. The habitat consists of forests and woodland savanna.
Charaxes ansorgei is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia. The habitat consists of montane forest on altitudes between 2,000 and 3,000 meters. The larvae feed on Bersama abyssinica abyssinica, Bersama abyssinica englerana and Bersama paullinoides.It was once considered to be a very rare species but it is relatively common in dense and inaccessible montane forests
Charaxes pollux, the black-bordered charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.
Charaxes tectonis, the mountain silver-barred charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Nigeria and Cameroon. The habitat consists of sub-montane and montane forests.
Charaxes phraortes is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in north-eastern Madagascar. The habitat consists of wet coastal forests.
Charaxes andranodorus is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found on Madagascar.
Charaxes eudoxus, the Eudoxus charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania, Cameroon and Zambia.
Charaxes lucyae is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Tanzania.
Charaxes musakensis is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Cameroon. The habitat consists of montane forests at altitudes above 1,300 meters.
Charaxes richelmanni is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania. The habitat consists of lowland evergreen forests.
Charaxes pythodoris, the powder-blue charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia.
Charaxes epijasius, the cream-bordered charaxes or Sahel charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It flies through most of the Savannah of the Afrotropical realm except southern Africa.
Charaxes saturnus, the foxy charaxes or koppie charaxes, is a butterfly that flies through most of the Savannah of the Eastern and Southern Afrotropical realm, and also occurs in suitable forest habitat locations including the forest belt of west-central Africa.
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