Butterflies of Botswana

by Caroline Frigon, of University of Vermont

Here in Botswana, we are constantly surrounded by incredible wildlife. Megafauna is all around us, and large charismatic species understandably receive a lot of attention. There is, however, an entire world of smaller creatures with just as many fascinating features.

I want to introduce you to 5 of my favorites. They’re all from the order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). They’re classified this way because of the thousands of microscopic scales (lepi) that cover their wings (ptera).

Butterflies and moths share many traits, but can be fairly reliably distinguished by the following characteristics:

*Those that are in bold are considered the most reliable.

These insects are incredibly important; their larvae impact plant biomass, they function as a food source for many vertebrate and invertebrate predators, and their adult forms play an important role in pollination.

Without further ado, I’d like to introduce a few Lepidopterans that I’ve come to know quite well in the last few months.

• Broad-bordered Grass Yellow (Eurema briggita)

These little butterflies are aptly named; they are small yellow butterflies with thick black borders along the insides of their wings and are ubiquitous in grassy areas.  They flutter hurriedly, landing for frequent, short breaks. 

Broad-bordered Grass Yellow (Eurema briggita).

• African Monarch (Danaus chrysippus)

This beautiful orange and black butterfly is in the same genus as the famous Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexipuss) in the U.S. but does not share the same propensity for migrations. However, the orange and black colors of the African Monarch serve the same purpose as those of the North-American Monarch; they are a warning to potential predators. Both monarch species consume plants that contain bitter toxins as larvae and use this as a chemical defense to predation. 

African Monarch (Danaus chrysippus).

• Common Diadem (Hypolimnas misippus)

The common diadem is another fairly widespread butterfly; we often see females fluttering quickly by. The females are Batesian mimics of the African monarch and are most easily distinguished by their alert, shy personalities and the solitary black spot on the leading edge of the hindwing (if they let you close enough to see it!). The males are dark butterflies with unmistakable white spots surrounded by purple-blue rings on their inner wings.

4)    Foxy Charaxes (Charaxes jasius)

These beautiful big butterflies are a charismatic and fearless species that frequents our campsites. They often land on us for at least a few minutes at a time to drink our sweat because of its high concentration of minerals.

Foxy Charaxes (Charaxes jasius).

• Mopane Moth (Imbrasia belina)

This is the adult form of the Mopane worm, the edible caterpillar who feeds on the leaves of Mopane trees (Colophospermum mopane).

Mopane Moth (Imbrasia belina).

There are hundreds of known species of insects in the Okavango Delta, and undoubtedly many that have never been formally recorded. Despite their diminutive size, these bugs play an enormous role in the ecosystem. Hopefully the field of entomology continues to grow so that we can better understand not only the roles of insects but also how we can help protect them in the face of anthropogenic pressures.