This is the famous Charaxes Brutus (White-barred Emperor), but the butterfly collectors are not going to get this one!
First of all I have to apologize for posting at different times, as we have to dodge the forced electricity shutdowns called "Loadshedding" here in South Africa. Years of neglected maintenance and corruption is now taking it's toll, as our entire electrical feed countrywide cannot maintain optimum performance.
So each city and town is switched off periodically at different times of the day and night.
But enough of that...come and have a look at this rare "Old World" butterfly!
I saw her land and any drastic movement by me would have scared her away!
Of course the excitement built within me, as I had an idea that this was not an ordinary butterfly.
So, coolly and calmly I shuffled my way imperceptibly closer!
"Charaxes brutus, the white-barred emperor or white-barred Charaxes, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Africa. Average wingspan is 60–75 mm in males and 75–90 mm in females. Flight period is year-round"
Google tells me that this is a most sought after butterfly and they have only recently started to appear in our area of the Western Cape province.
I remember posting about a Charaxes last year, but I could only get photos from underneath and not sideways like this!
This should be the male and I have not seen one, but the photo above was also linked to the Charaxes and I can only presume that it is the male.
"Charaxes frequent sunny forest openings and glades where they rest with open or partly open wings sunning themselves. When alerted, they close the wings exposing the cryptic underside. Certain favoured perches are selected and intruders are chased and driven off, Charaxes feed in part at oozes from tree wounds infested with beetle or other larvae and on rotting fruit (they come to hanging traps baited with fermenting banana). They lay their eggs on small understorey or marginal trees. Tender shoots are usually selected for egg laying but as the larvae grow they move to older leaves. Larvae rest on the upper surface of a leaf on which they have spun a protecting silk pad".
So while I am gently and silently taking photos of the butterfly, there was a beautiful and familiar song that I heard in a tree behind me. Oh yes, it was the male Red-collared Sunbird!
A real treasure with beautiful metallic colors.
Note: All photos marked (Zac Smith) are my own except for the Charaxes male photo and it was duly cited.
The Charaxes information sections in abbreviated commas ('') was also source cited!
I cannot make this post any longer as per my usual style due to time constraints before the next scheduled power cut, but I hope that I have placed enough information here about this rare butterfly.
Only the second time that I have seen one in my life and that's a sure indication about their rarity.
The droughts and weather changes are forcing them to relocate from their normally isolated areas into the towns and it is such a pleasure to see them.
Now to put some fruit out for this one and hope that it will become a frequent visitor.
Ps! I might have a secret up my sleeve, as I think that I found a hidden pupae of a Charaxes.
Let's wait and see what comes out!
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