Charaxes candiope
| Green-veined Emperor | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Charaxes candiope from Ethiopia. Mounted specimen | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Charaxes |
| Species: | C. candiope |
| Binomial name | |
| Charaxes candiope (Godart, 1824) | |
| Synonyms | |
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The Green-veined Emperor or Green-veined Charaxes (Charaxes candiope) is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
Behavior
This butterfly is very territorial and is the most aggressive butterfly in existence.
Description
The wingspan is 45–55 mm in males and 50–60 mm in females. The basic colour of the upperside wings is tawny or orange tawny, with a basal area slightly paler or pale ocher yellow. The unscaled veins and the coastal edge of forewing are green. The hindwings have a submarginal black band with a series of tawny ochreous or whitish interstitial spots. The undersides of the forewings are clayish, slightly ochreous, while the hindwings are sepia colour. Forewings are rather falcade, while the hindwings have two small tails protruding from the lower edge. Flight period is from October to June.[1]
Full description
A full description is given by Rothschild, W. And Jordan, K., 1900 Novitates Zoologicae Volume 7:287-524. page 364 et seq. (for terms see Novitates Zoologicae Volume 5:545-601 )
Life history
Larvae have large green bodies and heads decorated with horns. They feed on Croton sylvaticus, Croton gratissimus, and Croton megalocarpus.[1][2]
Distribution
This species can be found in most of Subsaharan Africa.[2]
Ecozone
Afrotropical ecozone
Taxonomy
Charaxes candiope group. The group members are [3]
- Charaxes candiope
- Charaxes antamboulou like next
- Charaxes cowani like last
- Charaxes velox
- Charaxes thomasius
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Woodhall, Steve. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town:Struik Publishers, 2005
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Charaxes, funet.fi
- ↑ Bernard Turlin, 2007 Schmetterlinge der Erde, Butterflies of the world Part 25 Nymphalidae XII, Charaxes II. Edited by Erich Bauer and Thomas Frankenbach Keltern : Goecke & Evers ; Canterbury : Hillside Books.ISBN 9781903237359
- Victor Gurney Logan Van Someren, 1974 Revisional notes on African Charaxes (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Part IX. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Entomology) 29 (8):415-487.
- Seitz, A. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 32
External links
- Charaxes candiope images at Consortium for the Barcode of Life
- Images of C. candiope candiope Royal Museum for Central Africa (Albertine Rift Project)
- Biodiversity Explorer
- Tolweb
- Outdoorphoto
- African Butterfly Database Range map via search