Butterflies of
Africa
Ethiopian
Charaxes
Charaxes galawadiwosi
PLANTROU & ROUGEOT, 1979
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
CHARAXINAE
Tribe - CHARAXINI
Charaxes galawadiwosi,
Arba Minch, Ethiopia
©
Peter Bruce-Jones
Introduction
The Charaxinae are a
group of robust, medium to large Nymphalids characterised by having a rapid and
powerful flight, stout bodies, triangular forewings, and a habit of feeding
at dung and carrion.
They
are represented in the neotropics by genera including
Consul, Memphis, Prepona
and Agrias;
in the Oriental and Australian regions by
Polyura
and Charaxes,
and in Africa by Charaxes, Palla
and Euxanthe.
The
genus Charaxes
contains 179 African species, one of which,
C. jasius,
extends it's range as far north as the Mediterranean coast of Europe. Most are
forest-dwellers, but several are adapted to savannah or
Acacia scrub habitats.
Charaxes
galawadiwosi is endemic to Ethiopia.
Habitats
This species is found in savannah / woodland habitats at altitudes between about
1000-2000m.
Lifecycle
The only recorded larval foodplant is
Albizia
( Fabaceae ).
Adult behaviour
Males
visit dung to obtain minerals which are passed to females during
copulation. If disturbed from their feeding place the fly up and
settle on the branches of nearby bushes or trees.
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