| Precis pelarga | |
|---|---|
| Precis pelarga from Eritrea. Mounted specimen | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Precis |
| Species: | P. pelarga |
| Binomial name | |
| Precis pelarga (Fabricius, 1775) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Precis pelarga, common name Fashion Commodore, is a species of butterfly in the Nymphalidae family.
Contents |
Precis pelarga has a wingspan reaching about 43–51 millimetres (1.7–2.0 in). The forewings are falcade. A clearer band crosses forewings and hindwings. This band is orange-white in the wet season, bluish-white in the dry season (seasonal polymorphism). Tha basal area of the wings is brown, while the margins are blackish, with a series of small white spots. The undersides of the wings are variegated, with yellowish-brown cryptic colours, mimicking dead leaves. Larvae feed on Solenostemon and Coleus (Lamiaceae species).
This species is present in tropical Africa (Senegal, Angola, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, W. Kenya, Ethiopia) .
Precis pelarga can be found in open forests and in savannah, at an elevation of about 0–1,350 metres (0–4,430 ft) above sea level.