Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Nymphalidae Rank Species | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Precis | |
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Similar Precis ceryne, Junonia sophia, Pentila pauli, Bebearia sophus, Azanus isis | ||
Precis pelarga, the fashion commodore, is a species of butterfly in the Nymphalidae family.
Contents
Description
Precis pelarga has a wingspan reaching about 43–51 millimetres (1.7–2.0 in). The forewings are falcade. A clearer band crosses forewings and hindwings. This band is orange-white in the wet season, bluish-white in the dry season (seasonal polymorphism). Tha 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, W. 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.