| Golden piper | |
|---|---|
 | |
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| E. d. angulata, both from Ilanda Wilds, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Eurytela |
| Species: | E. dryope |
| Binomial name | |
| Eurytela dryope (Cramer, [1775]) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Eurytela dryope, the golden piper, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae, found in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arabian peninsula and Madagascar. [1]
Wingspan: 40–50 mm in males and 45–55 mm in females. [2] The male and female are very similar in appearance. [3] The upperside of the wings is dark brown with a wide, yellow-orange band in the lower two-thirds of the forewing margin and the outer half of the hindwing. [3] The underside of the wings is variegated in shades of brown. [3]
Listed alphabetically: [1]
E. d. angulata is found in Ethiopia, East Africa, southern DRC, Angola [1] and on the eastern side of South Africa from Limpopo, the Magaliesberg, [3] Mpumalanga, Eswatini, KwaZulu-Natal, to Port St Johns [3] in the Eastern Cape. [4] A photographic record was made further south than Port St Johns during the South African Butterfly Conservation Assessment. [4] E. d. brittoni is found in the south-west of the Arabian peninsula. [1] E. d. dryope from Sierra Leone to Cameroon and northern DRC. [1] E. d. lineata is found in Madagascar. [1]
The eggs are covered in longitudinal rows of hairy spines. [5]
The larvae are spiny with large head processes [5] and feed on Tragia glabrata , Dalechampia capensis , and Ricinus communis . [2]
The pupae are greenish in colour and have greatly expanded wing cases. [5]
The flight period is year round, peaking between November and June. [2] They have a leisurely, gliding flight, settling frequently, usually with open wings. [3] The adults feed on fermenting fruit, tree sap and nectar. [5] They are found in forests and wooded, frost-free savanna. [3] This species can tolerate drier conditions than the pied piper ( Eurytela hiarbas ). [3]
Axiocerses amanga, the bush scarlet, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Coeliades pisistratus, the two-pip policeman, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae that occurs commonly in much of sub-Saharan Africa.
Eretis umbra, the small marbled elf, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found from South Africa to eastern Africa and Uganda. Similar to Eretis djaelaelae but lacks white forelegs.
Sarangesa phidyle, the orange flat or small elfin, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found from Botswana, south-west Africa, Saudi Arabia, Sudan. In South Africa it is found from the eastern Cape to Eswatini, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga and the Limpopo Province, the North West Province and Gauteng.
Sarangesa seineri, the dusted elfin or dark elfin, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Natal, the former Transvaal and Botswana and from Zimbabwe to Kenya and the DRC.
Spialia depauperata, the wandering sandman or deprived grizzled skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found from Kenya to Natal and in Uganda.
Spialia dromus, the forest sandman, dromus grizzled skipper or large grizzled skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in tropical Africa. In South Africa it is found along the eastern Cape coast to KwaZulu-Natal into Eswatini. It is also present in Mpumalanga and the Limpopo Province into northern Gauteng and the extreme north-west of the North West Province.
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.
Lachnocnema bibulus, the common woolly legs, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa it is found from the East Cape to KwaZulu-Natal, Eswatini, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, the Limpopo Province, and the North West Province.
Lachnocnema laches, the southern pied woolly legs, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in coastal forests from the East Cape, along the coast of KwaZulu-Natal, inland to Eswatini, Mpumalanga, the Limpopo Province, and the North West Province along wooded hills and valleys. The habitat consists of savanna.
Iolaus silarus, the straight-line sapphire, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. The species was first described by Hamilton Herbert Druce in 1885. It is found in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, Zambia, southern Zaire, Tanzania, south-western Kenya and South Africa. In South Africa it is found in wooded savannah in northern KwaZulu-Natal and in savannah from Eswatini to Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West. It is also present in Afromontane forest on the Wolkberg and the northern Drakensberg.
Deudorix dinochares, the apricot playboy, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in South Africa, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, eastern Africa and south-west Arabia. In South Africa it is found from northern KwaZulu-Natal to Eswatini, Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West and Gauteng.
Myrina silenus, the common fig-tree blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa, southern Arabia and northern Oman.
Precis tugela, the African leaf butterfly or eared commodore, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in eastern and southern Africa, ranging from Ethiopia to South Africa. It is commonly included in the genus Precis instead of Junonia.
Dixeia pigea, the ant-heap small white or ant-heap white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae that is native to Africa.
Actizera lucida, the rayed blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found from eastern and southern Africa to Kenya. It is also found on Madagascar. In South Africa it is widespread from the West Cape to the Orange Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Mpumalanga, the Limpopo Province and the North West Province.
Appias epaphia, the diverse white or African albatross, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae. It is found in Africa, south of the Sahara. The habitat consists of forests and heavy woodland.
Mylothris agathina, the eastern dotted border or common dotted border, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae, which is native to sub-Saharan Africa, particularly East and southern Africa. In South Africa its range has spread westwards around the coast in the late 20th century, and it now occurs north of Cape Town to somewhat beyond Saldanha.
Byblia anvatara, the common joker, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae, found in Sub-Saharan Africa.
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