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Butterflies of West Africa
 
Common Orange Charaxes
Charaxes pleione GODART, 1824
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily - CHARAXINAE
Tribe - CHARAXINI
 
 introduction | habitats | lifecycle | adult behaviour
 

Charaxes pleione, male, Bobiri Forest, Ghana
 
Introduction
 
The genus Charaxes contains 179 African species, 18 in the Oriental region, and a single species in New Guinea. They are robust, medium to large butterflies characterised by having a rapid and very powerful flight, stout bodies, triangular forewings, and in most species vein 4 on the hindwing is extended into a short tail.
Charaxes pleione and the very similar paphianus ( which has a more falcate apex and a longer tail on the hindwing ) are a bright fiery orange-red on the upper surface.
Both species are distributed throughout the African forest block which extends from Sierra Leone to Kenya.
 
Habitats
 
Charaxes pleione occurs in lowland forest at altitudes between sea level and about 1200m.
 
Lifecycle
 
As with other Charaxes species, the egg is barrel-shaped and carries a series of ridges and keels around the upper part. It is laid singly on leaves of the foodplant.
The caterpillar when fully grown is smooth-skinned, green, and has an oval spot on either side of each segment. The head is adorned with a pair of short recurved horns. It feeds on the foliage of Acacia ( Leguminosae ).
 
Adult behaviour

 

The butterflies are usually encountered singly or in two's and three's along sunny forest tracks. They habitually rest on the foliage of bushes, basking with wings held partly open.

This species has a weaker flight than other Charaxes species, but males nevertheless can still move quite rapidly. Females have a more feeble, almost fluttery flight.

Although the butterflies are sometimes attracted to carrion or dung, they are more often found visiting sap runs or fallen fruit.

 

 

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