Butterflies of
Africa
Common Silverspot
Aphnaeus orcas
DRURY, 1782
Family - LYCAENIDAE
subfamily -
LYCAENINAE
Tribe - APHNAEINI
introduction
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habitats |
lifecycle |
adult behaviour
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Aphnaeus
orcas, female, Kakum national park, Ghana |
Introduction
The
tribe Aphnaeini includes 226 African species, most of which found south of the
Sahara although a few, in the genus
Cigaritis, reach as far north as Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria. The Aphnaeini are also
represented by several
Spindasis
species in the Oriental region.
The butterflies are noted
for the beautiful and intricate patterns on the undersurface of the wings,
particularly those in the genera
Spindasis
( Silverlines ),
Axiocerses
( Scarlets ) and
Aphnaeus.
In conjunction with the well-developed "false-antennae" tails and
forward-canted resting posture, these patterns help to create the illusion that the
butterfly is facing back-to-front. Any bird aiming to attack a
butterfly will try to
anticipate the direction in which it will try to escape. Accordingly
it will aim its attack just ahead of what it believes to be the head, but the back-to front illusion fools
it into aiming at the tail, and the butterfly is able to make it's escape in the opposite direction.
There are 19 species in the genus
Aphnaeus,
all African. Some are adapted to breed in rainforests, while others are found in
savannah habitats.
Aphnaeus
orcas occurs in
Sierra Leone, Gold Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Zaire,
Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.
Habitats
This is a forest species, found at altitudes between sea level and about
1000m.
Lifecycle
The
larval foodplants include
Alchornea
( Euphorbiaceae ) and
Albizia
( Leguminosae ).
Adult behaviour
The butterflies are always encountered singly. They can sometimes
be found at rest on the leaves of bushes, but are more frequently
seen nectaring at flowering bushes and shrubs. When settled they
are surprisingly difficult to spot, as the pattern which is so
striking when seen closely is also very effective at breaking up
the shape of the butterfly - a type of camouflage known as
disruptive colouration.
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