Charaxes penricei
| Scarce Savanna Charaxes | |
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| Species: | C. penricei
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| Binomial name | |
| Charaxes penricei Rothschild, 1900[1]
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The Scarce Savanna Charaxes (Charaxes penricei) is a butterfly in the Nymphalidae family. It is found in the Republic of Congo, Angola, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, Tanzania, Malawi and Zimbabwe.[2] The habitat consists of savanna, especially Brachystegia woodland.
The larvae feed on Entada species and Securidaca longipedunculata.
Description
Original description, for terms see Novitates Zoologicae Volume 5:545-601 [1]
Male Body as in Ch. etesipe.Wings, upperside, bluish black, somewhat metallic green towards base.Forewing : markings similar in position to those of Ch. etesipe cacuthis, all white, the posterior patches slightly edged with blue, postdiscal spots SC4-R3 larger than in cacuthis, patch M2 SM2 6 mm. wide, more proximal than in cacuthis, being 9 mm. distant from end of SM2 Hindwing : a band across the wing as in Ch. etesipe, but the band is blue for the greater part, the white colour being restricted to spots which correspond to the white spots of the underside, externally the band is incised upon the veins, point of origin of M1 about in middle of band ; median bar C-SC2 and bar D appear as black lines within the band ; submarginal and admarginal spots essentially as in etesipe etesipe.
Underside nearly as in etesipe male, but the white markings larger and purer in colour, the red bars brighter. Forewing : black discal bars R3-SM2 placed as in etesipe female, being much more proximal than in etesipe male, discal bar M2-SM2 not clearly separated from the respective median one, white postdiscal interspace M2-SM2 3.5 mm. broad at M", and 5 mm. at SM2, black postdiscal patch M2-SM2 larger than in etesipe male. Hindwing: rufous red postdiscal spots C-R2 very conspicuous, the following postdiscal interspaces also more or less rufous red, median and submedian bars M2-(SM1) closer together than in etesipe.
Length of forewing: male, 38 mm. Genital armature not essentially different from that of Ch. etesipe. Hab. Quebe R., Angola (Penrice), 1 male.
This curious species resembles much more the female of Ch. etesipe than the male on the upperside of the hindwing, while on the forewing the pattern recalls that of Ch. etesipe cacuthis from Madagascar.
Subspecies
- Charaxes penricei penricei (eastern Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia, southern Tanzania, Malawi, eastern Zimbabwe)
- Charaxes penricei dealbata van Someren, 1966 (Congo, north-western Angola, western Democratic Republic of Congo)
- Charaxes penricei tanganyikae van Someren, 1966 (western Tanzania)
Taxonomy
Charaxes etesipe is a member of the species group Charaxes etesipe
The clade members are:
- Charaxes etesipe (nominate)
- Charaxes penricei
- Charaxes achaemenes
- Charaxes paradoxa
- Charaxes cacuthis
References
- ^ Charaxes penricei, Site of Markku Savela
- ^ Afrotropical Butterflies: File H - Charaxinae - Tribe Charaxini
- Van Someren, Victor Gurney Logan (1966). Revisional notes on African Charaxes (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Part III. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) (Entomology) 45-101.[2]
- Van Someren, Victor Gurney Logan (1969). Revisional notes on African Charaxes (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Part V. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) (Entomology) 75-166. [3] Additional notes.
External links
- Images of C. penricei penricei Royal Museum for Central Africa (Albertine Rift Project)
- Images of C. penricei tanganyikae (Albertine Rift Project)
- Charaxes penricei images at Consortium for the Barcode of Life
- Charaxes penricei penricei images at BOLD
- Charaxes cf. penricei images at BOLD