Precis octavia

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Precis octavia
Precis octavia, winter form

Precis octavia , winter form

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Noble butterfly (Nymphalidae)
Subfamily : Spotted butterfly (Nymphalinae)
Genre : Precis
Type : Precis octavia
Scientific name
Precis octavia
( Cramer , 1777)
Summer form

Precis Octavia is occurring in Africa Butterfly ( butterfly ) from the family of Nymphalidae (Nymphalidae).

features

butterfly

The wingspan of the moth is 50 to 60 millimeters for the males and 55 to 63 millimeters for the females. There is no sexual dimorphism . During the winter months, the upper sides of the wings in both sexes show a blue basic color. A series of orange-colored, black-colored spots extends over both pairs of wings in the post-disk region . Two small whitish spots can be seen near the apex . The undersides of the wings are marbled in dark brown and show a row of white dots extending over both pairs of wings. Moths in the summer months are colored completely differently. On the top of both pairs of wings they have an orange-red basic color, a black row of dots and a black border. Two black stripes extend from the front edge of the front wing to the cell . The undersides of the wings depict the tops in slightly paler colors.

Caterpillar

Adult caterpillars reach a body length of 45 millimeters, have a brown to black basic color and yellow-brown transverse lines. On the body surface they are equipped with many branched thorns. The head has two thin horns.

Occurrence and habitat

The nominate form Precis octavia octavia occurs in Senegal , Guinea , Burkina Faso , Sierra Leone , Liberia , Ghana , Togo , Benin , Nigeria , Cameroon , Gabon , the Congo Basin , Sudan as well as Ethiopia and Somalia . The subspecies Precis octavia sesamus is native to South Africa , Swaziland , Angola , Mozambique , Tanzania , Uganda , Zaire and Kenya . The species inhabits light forests, wastelands and savannahs as well as gardens and parks.

Way of life

The moths can be found in all months of the year. They like to suck nectar on flowers. In cold weather, they collect in holes in the ground on protected embankments. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of the mint family (Lamiaceae).

Individual evidence

  1. ^ A b Steve Woodhall: Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa , Cape Town, South Africa, Struik Publishers, 2005, ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7
  2. ↑ Markku Savela: Precis Hübner, [1819] - distribution. In: Lepidoptera and some other life forms. Retrieved February 24, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Vincent Carruthers: Fauna and Flora in Southern Africa: A Handbook for the Flora and Fauna of the Region , Cape Town, South Africa, Struik Publishers, 1997, ISBN 978-1-86872-644-8
  4. ↑ Herbert Otto: Butterflies of the Kruger National Park and Surrounds Struik Nature, 2014, ISBN 978-1-77584-310-8

Web links

Commons : Precis octavia  - collection of images, videos and audio files