Precis pelarga
Precis pelarga, the fashion commodore, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae which is native to tropical sub-Saharan Africa.
Fashion commodore | |
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The wet-season form in Nigeria and the dry season form in Uganda | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Nymphalidae |
Genus: | Precis |
Species: | P. pelarga |
Binomial name | |
Precis pelarga (Fabricius, 1775) | |
Synonyms | |
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Description
Precis pelarga has a wingspan reaching about 43–51 millimetres (1.7–2.0 in). The forewings are falcate. A clearer band crosses the forewings and hindwings. This band is orange white in the wet season, bluish white in the dry season (seasonal polymorphism). The basal area of the wings is brown, while the margins are blackish, with a series of small white spots. The undersides of the wings are variegated, with yellowish-brown cryptic colours, mimicking dead leaves. Larvae feed on Solenostemon and Coleus (Lamiaceae species).
Distribution
This species is present in tropical Africa (Senegal, Angola, Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, western Kenya, Ethiopia, and Eritrea).
Habitat
Precis pelarga can be found in open forests and in savannah, at an elevation of about 0–1,350 metres (0–4,429 ft) above sea level.
References
- "Precis Hübner, [1819]" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
External links
- Learn about butterflies
- Fleeting Wonders
- Precis pelarga at Tree of Life web
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Precis pelarga. |