Vanessa hippomene explained

Vanessa hippomene, commonly known as the southern short-tailed admiral, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae which is native to South Africa and Madagascar.

Wingspan is 45–45 mm in males and 42–48 mm in females. Has two or three flight periods with peak between April and May.^[1]

This species was traditionally considered to be a member of the genus Antanartia, but recent molecular analyses reveals that it is more closely related to members of the genus Vanessa.^[2]

Subspecies

• V. h. hippomene — Eswatini and South Africa: KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape and southeastern Western Cape
• V. h. madegassorum (Aurivillius, 1899) — Madagascar: plateau

Notes and References

1. Book: Woodhall, Steve . Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa . 2005 . Cape Town, South Africa . Struik . 978-1-86872-724-7 .
2. Wahlberg . Niklas . Rubinoff, Daniel . Vagility across Vanessa (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae): mobility in butterfly species does not inhibit the formation and persistence of isolated sister taxa.. Systematic Entomology. 2011. 36. 2. 362–370 . 10.1111/j.1365-3113.2010.00566.x. free. 2011SysEn..36..362W .