Protogoniomorpha parhassus

Last updated

Forest mother-of-pearl
Forest Mother-of-pearl on flower.jpg
possibly P. p. aethiops
Forest mother-of-pearl (Protogoniomorpha parhassus parhassus) underside.jpg
P. p. parhassus, Ghana
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Protogoniomorpha
Species:
P. parhassus
Binomial name
Protogoniomorpha parhassus
(Drury, 1782) [1]
Protogoniomorpha parhassus, verspreidingskaart, a.png
  Approximate range
Synonyms
  • Papilio parhassusDrury, 1782
  • Salamis parhassus
  • Papilio aethiopsPalisot de Beauvais, 1805
  • Vanessa aglatoniceGodart, 1819
  • Salamis parhassus aethiops f. aest. modestusOverlaet, 1955
  • Salamis parhassus f. pyricolorStoneham, 1965

Protogoniomorpha parhassus, the forest mother-of-pearl [1] or common mother-of-pearl, [2] [3] is a species of Nymphalidae butterfly found in forested areas of Africa.

Contents

Subspecies

Description

The following description is for P. p. aethiops: A large butterfly; [3] the wingspan is 65–80 mm for males and 75–90 mm for females. [2] The male and female are similar in colour and pattern. [3] The base colour of the upper surface of the wings is greenish white with a violet sheen in the wet-season form, and pearly white in the dry-season form. [3] The forewing has a black-tipped, hooked apex. The wings have a few red eyespots which are ringed with black. There are black spots near the margins of both the forewings and hindwings. The underside of the wings has a greenish-white base colour, with eyespots corresponding to those on the upper surface.

Life cycle

Eggs

This species lays tiny eggs similar to those of Junonia and Precis species. [5]

Larvae

The larvae are similar to those of Junonia and Precis species, but larger. [5] They feed on Asystasia ( A. gangetica [3] ), Brillantaisia , Isoglossa ( I. woodii [3] and I. mossambicensis [6] ), Mimulopsis , and Paulowilhelmia species. [1] [2]

Pupae

The pupae are similar to those of Junonia and Precis species, but larger. [5]

Adults

The flight period of the adults is year round, peaking in summer and autumn. [2] They have a "ponderous, flapping flight which can be quite fast". [3] The males may perch on the leaves of forest trees, while the females stay closer to the ground near the larval food plants. [3] These butterflies roost under leaves at night, and the males sometimes mud-puddle. [3]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scotch argus</span> Species of butterfly

The Scotch argus is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. In spite of its English name argus, it is not a close relation of the brown argus nor the northern brown argus.

<i>Erebia ligea</i> Species of butterfly

Erebia ligea, the Arran brown, is a member of the subfamily Satyrinae of the family Nymphalidae. This brown is widespread in south-eastern and northern Europe. It prefers mixed woodlands at low altitudes. It is rarely seen in open areas. This species was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae, and the type locality is Sweden.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Junoniini</span> Tribe of butterflies

Junoniini is a tribe of nymphalid (brush-footed) butterflies.

<i>Salamis</i> (butterfly) Genus of butterflies

Salamis is a genus of nymphalid butterflies. They are commonly known as mother-of-pearls and are found in Africa. Salamis was a nymph in Greek mythology, the daughter of the river god Asopus and Metope, daughter of the Ladon, another river god.

Bicyclus ena, the grizzled bush brown, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found from KwaZulu-Natal to Eswatini, Mpumalanga, from Zimbabwe to Kenya and in Uganda.

<i>Tagiades flesus</i> Species of butterfly

Tagiades flesus, the clouded flat, clouded forester or clouded skipper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae from southern Africa.

<i>Sevenia boisduvali</i> Species of butterfly

Sevenia boisduvali, the Boisduval's tree nymph, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. There are four subspecies; all native to Africa.

<i>Precis archesia</i> Species of butterfly

Precis archesia, the garden inspector or garden commodore, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae, native to Subsaharan Africa.

<i>Junonia terea</i> Species of butterfly

Junonia terea, the soldier pansy or soldier commodore, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. The species was first described by Dru Drury in 1773. It is found in the Afrotropical realm.

<i>Precis tugela</i> Species of butterfly

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 Junonia rather than Precis.

<i>Protogoniomorpha anacardii</i> Species of butterfly

Protogoniomorpha anacardii, the clouded mother-of-pearl, is a species of Nymphalidae butterfly found in tropical Africa, and in Arabia

<i>Precis ceryne</i> Species of butterfly

Precis ceryne, the marsh commodore, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae, native to Subsaharan Africa.

<i>Protogoniomorpha</i> Genus of butterflies

Protogoniomorpha is a genus of nymphalid butterflies found in the Afrotropical realm, commonly known as mother-of-pearls.

<i>Charaxes phaeus</i> Species of butterfly

Charaxes phaeus, the demon emperor or dusky charaxes, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in southern Africa.

<i>Charaxes varanes</i> Species of butterfly

Charaxes varanes, the pearl emperor, Karkloof emperor, or pearl charaxes, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae, found in Africa from Saudi Arabia to South Africa.

<i>Charaxes bohemani</i> Species of butterfly

Charaxes bohemani, the large blue emperor, large blue charaxes or divebomber charaxes, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in eastern and southern Africa.

<i>Charaxes guderiana</i> Species of butterfly

Charaxes guderiana, the blue-spangled emperor, Guderian's charaxes or blue-spangled charaxes, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in southern Africa.

<i>Eurytela dryope</i> Species of butterfly

Eurytela dryope, the golden piper, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae, found in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Arabian peninsula and Madagascar.

<i>Protogoniomorpha cytora</i> Species of butterfly

Protogoniomorpha cytora, the western blue beauty, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and Benin. The habitat consists of open spaces in primary forests and mature secondary forests.

<i>Protogoniomorpha temora</i> Species of butterfly

Protogoniomorpha temora, the blue mother-of-pearl or eastern blue beauty, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Sudan and Ethiopia. The habitat consists of dense forests and riverine thicket.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Salamis Boisduval, 1833" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. 1 2 3 4 Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN   978-1-86872-724-7.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Williams, M. (1994). Butterflies of Southern Africa; A Field Guide. ISBN   1-86812-516-5.
  4. 1 2 Markku Sevala's pages: http://www.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/nymphalidae/nymphalinae/salamis/index.html, retrieved 31 July 2010.
  5. 1 2 3 Woodhall, S. (2008). What's that Butterfly?. Cape Town: Struik Publishers. ISBN   978-1-77007-486-6.
  6. Dickson, C.G.C (ed.), Kroon, D.M.; Pennington's Butterflies of Southern Africa; AD. DONKER 1978