Charaxes pondoensis, the Pondo emperor, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in South Africa.[1]
The wingspan is 45–55 mm in males and 48–60 mm in females.
The habitat is coastal scarp forest.
pondoensis flies year-round, with peaks October/November and March to May.[2]
Larvae feed on Milletia sutherlandi and Milletia grandis.[1] [2]
Notes on the biology of pondoensis are given by Pringle et al (1994)[3]
Charaxes ethalion and Charaxes karkloof C. pondoensis differs from Charaxes ethalion and Charaxes karkloof in the stronger contrast between the light and dark areas on the underside, especially in males; the underside is silvery grey, not brown as in the other two species. On the underside of the hindwing in area 4 there are two fine, black lines at the end of the cell – these meet on vein 4 immediately basad of the juncture between vein 4 and vein 3. In the nominate subspecies of Charaxes karkloof these two lines are always separated and meet vein 4 on either side of this juncture.[3]
Charaxes pondoensis is a member of the large species group Charaxes etheocles