Genus Charaxes Rank Species | ||
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Similar Charaxes castor, Charaxes etesipe, Charaxes varanes, Charaxes protoclea, Charaxes eupale | ||
Charaxes candiope, the green-veined emperor or green-veined charaxes, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
Contents
Behaviour
This butterfly is very territorial and according Guinness World Records 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 ochre 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.
Full description
A full description is given by Walter Rothschild and Karl Jordan, 1900 Novitates Zoologicae volume 7:287-524. [1] page 364 et seq. (for terms see Novitates Zoologicae volume 5:545-601 [2])
Life history
Larvae have large green bodies and heads decorated with horns. They feed on Croton sylvaticus, Croton gratissimus, and Croton megalocarpus.
Distribution
This species can be found in most of Sub-Saharan Africa.
Ecozone
Afrotropical ecozone
Taxonomy
Charaxes candiope group. The group members are:
