Butterflies of
Africa
Bush Scarlet
Axiocerses amanga
WESTWOOD, 1881
Family - LYCAENIDAE
subfamily -
THECLINAE
Tribe - APHNAEINI
Axiocerses amanga,
Nechisar NP,
Ethiopia
© Peter
Bruce-Jones
Introduction
The genus Axiocerses comprises of
16 species, all Afrotropical
in distribution.
All members of
the genus have a tail-like extension on the hindwings. The upperside
of the wings of all species is red or orange. At first glance
the butterflies can be mistaken for Hypomyrina
or Deudorix species, but unlike
those, the underside wings of Axiocerses
are of the cryptic "dead-leaf" type, with small blackish
markings on the forewings, and reddish maculae on the
hindwings. They can also be mistaken for
Lipaphnaeus species, but the latter have two thin tails
on each hindwing.
Axiocerses amanga is found from
Senegal to Ethiopia and Sudan, and south to South Africa.
Habitats
This is a savannah / woodland mosaic species, which occurs at altitudes between
about 100-1500m.
Lifecycle
The usual larval
foodplant is Ximenia ( Olacaceae ),
but there are also records of larvae feeding on
Acacia. The caterpillars are
attended by Camponotus ants, which
milk them for a sugary substance which is secreted from the
dorsal gland.
Adult behaviour
As befits a
butterfly with the name Bush Scarlet, this pretty little
species is often seen perching on the foliage of bushes,
basking with the bright red wings held half-open. Both sexes
are fond of wild flowers, particularly the tiny white flowers of
Tridax daisies.
Axiocerses amanga,
Arba Minch,
Ethiopia
© Peter
Bruce-Jones
|
