| Forest Mother-of-Pearl | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Tribe: | Junoniini |
| Genus: | Protogoniomorpha |
| Species: | P. parhassus |
| Binomial name | |
| Protogoniomorpha parhassus (Druce, 1782)[1] |
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| Synonyms | |
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The Forest Mother-of-Pearl[1] or Common Mother-of-Pearl[2][3] (Protogoniomorpha parhassus) is a species of Nymphalidae butterfly found in forested areas of Africa.
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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 uppersurface 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 eye-spots which are ringed with black. There are black spots near the margins of both the fore- and hindwings. The underside of the wings has a greenish-white base colour, with eye-spots corresponding to those on the uppersurface.
This species lays tiny eggs similar to those of Junonia and Precis species.[5]
The larvae are similar to those of Junonia and Precis species, but larger.[5] They feed on Asystasia (Asystasia gangetica[3]), Brillantaisia, Isoglossa (I. woodii[3] and I. mossambicensis [6]), Mimulopsis, and Paulowilhelmia species.[2][1]
The pupae are similar to those of Junonia and Precis species, but larger.[5]
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 foodplants.[3] These butterflies roost under leaves at night, and the males sometimes mud-puddle.[3]
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