List of butterflies of South Africa explained

This is a list of butterflies of South Africa. Over 660 species are known from South Africa, a large proportion of which are endemic.^[1]

Family Nymphalidae

Subfamily Danainae

• Amauris albimaculata
• Amauris echeria
• Amauris niavius
• Amauris ochlea
• Danaus chrysippus
• Tirumala petiverana

Subfamily Satyrinae

• Aeropetes tulbaghia
• Bicyclus anynana
• Bicyclus ena
• Bicyclus safitza
• Cassionympha camdeboo
• Cassionympha cassius
• Cassionympha detecta
• Coenyra aurantiaca
• Coenyra hebe
• Coenyra rufiplaga
• Coenyropsis natalii
• Dingana alaedeus
• Dingana alticola
• Dingana angusta
• Dingana bowkeri
• Dingana clara
• Dingana clarki
• Dingana dingana
• Dingana fraterna
• Dingana jerinae
• Dingana kammanassiensis
• Dira clytus
• Dira jansei
• Dira oxylus
• Dira swanepoeli
• Gnophodes betsimena
• Heteropsis perspicua
• Melampias huebneri
• Melanitis leda
• Neita durbani
• Neita extensa
• Neita lotenia
• Neita neita
• Paralethe dendrophilus
• Physcaeneura panda
• Pseudonympha gaika
• Pseudonympha hippia
• Pseudonympha loxophthalma
• Pseudonympha machacha
• Pseudonympha magoides
• Pseudonympha magus
• Pseudonympha narycia
• Pseudonympha paludis
• Pseudonympha paragaika
• Pseudonympha penningtoni
• Pseudonympha poetula
• Pseudonympha southeyi
• Pseudonympha swanepoeli
• Pseudonympha trimenii
• Pseudonympha varii
• Stygionympha curlei
• Stygionympha dicksoni
• Stygionympha geraldi
• Stygionympha irrorata
• Stygionympha robertsoni
• Stygionympha scotina
• Stygionympha vansoni
• Stygionympha vigilans
• Stygionympha wichgrafi
• Tarsocera cassina
• Tarsocera cassus
• Tarsocera dicksoni
• Tarsocera fulvina
• Tarsocera imitator
• Tarsocera namaquensis
• Tarsocera southeyae
• Torynesis hawequas
• Torynesis magna
• Torynesis mintha
• Torynesis orangica
• Torynesis pringlei
• Ypthima antennata
• Ypthima asterope
• Ypthima condamini
• Ypthima granulosa
• Ypthima impura

Subfamily Heliconiinae

• Acraea acara
• Acraea acrita
• Acraea aglaonice
• Acraea anemosa
• Acraea axina
• Acraea barberi
• Acraea boopis
• Acraea caldarena
• Acraea horta
• Acraea lygus
• Acraea machequena
• Acraea natalica
• Acraea neobule
• Acraea nohara
• Acraea oncaea
• Acraea petraea
• Acraea rabbaiae
• Acraea satis
• Acraea stenobea
• Acraea trimeni
• Acraea violarum
• Bematistes aganice
• Hyalites cerasa
• Hyalites eponina
• Hyalites obeira
• Lachnoptera ayresii
• Pardopsis punctatissima
• Phalanta eurytis
• Phalanta phalantha
• Telchinia alalonga
• Telchinia anacreon
• Telchinia cabira
• Telchinia encedon
• Telchinia esebria
• Telchinia igola
• Telchinia induna
• Telchinia rahira
• Telchinia serena

Subfamily Charaxinae

• Charaxes achaemenes
• Charaxes bohemani
• Charaxes brutus
• Charaxes candiope
• Charaxes castor
• Charaxes cithaeron
• Charaxes druceanus
• Charaxes etesipe
• Charaxes ethalion
• Charaxes guderiana
• Charaxes jahlusa
• Charaxes jasius
• Charaxes karkloof
• Charaxes marieps
• Charaxes pelias
• Charaxes phaeus
• Charaxes pondoensis
• Charaxes protoclea
• Charaxes vansoni
• Charaxes varanes
• Charaxes violetta
• Charaxes xiphares
• Charaxes zoolina
• Euxanthe wakefieldi

Subfamily Limenitidinae

• Cymothoe alcimeda
• Cymothoe coranus
• Euphaedra neophron
• Euryphura achlys
• Hamanumida daedalus
• Neptis goochi
• Neptis jordani
• Neptis kiriakoffi
• Neptis laeta
• Neptis saclava
• Neptis trigonophora
• Pseudacraea boisduvali
• Pseudacraea eurytus
• Pseudacraea lucretia

Subfamily Cyrestinae

• Cyrestis camillus

Subfamily Biblidinae

• Byblia anvatara
• Byblia ilithyia
• Eurytela dryope
• Eurytela hiarbas
• Sevenia boisduvali
• Sevenia morantii
• Sevenia natalensis
• Sevenia rosa

Subfamily Nymphalinae

• Antanartia schaeneia
• Catacroptera cloanthe
• Hypolimnas anthedon
• Hypolimnas deceptor
• Hypolimnas misippus
• Junonia hierta
• Junonia natalica
• Junonia oenone
• Junonia orithya
• Junonia terea
• Junonia tugela
• Precis antilope
• Precis archesia
• Precis ceryne
• Precis octavia
• Protogoniomorpha parhassus
• Salamis anacardii
• Vanessa cardui
• Vanessa dimorphica
• Vanessa hippomene

Subfamily Libytheinae

• Libythea labdaca

Family Hesperiidae

Subfamily Coeliadinae

• Coeliades anchises
• Coeliades forestan
• Coeliades keithloa
• Coeliades libeon
• Coeliades lorenzo
• Coeliades pisistratus

Subfamily Pyrginae

• Abantis bicolor
• Abantis paradisea
• Abantis tettensis
• Abantis venosa
• Alenia namaqua
• Alenia sandaster
• Astictopterus inornatus
• Calleagris kobela
• Calleagris krooni
• Caprona pillaana
• Celaenorrhinus mokeezi
• Eagris nottoana
• Eretis djaelaelae
• Eretis umbra
• Gomalia elma
• Leucochitonea levubu
• Metisella aegipan
• Metisella malgacha
• Metisella meninx
• Metisella metis
• Metisella syrinx
• Metisella willemi
• Netrobalane canopus
• Sarangesa motozi
• Sarangesa phidyle
• Sarangesa ruona
• Sarangesa seineri
• Spialia agylla
• Spialia asterodia
• Spialia colotes
• Spialia confusa
• Spialia delagoae
• Spialia depauperata
• Spialia diomus
• Spialia dromus
• Spialia mafa
• Spialia nanus
• Spialia paula
• Spialia sataspes
• Spialia secessus
• Spialia spio
• Tagiades flesus
• Tsitana dicksoni
• Tsitana tsita
• Tsitana tulbagha
• Tsitana uitenhaga

Subfamily Hesperiinae

• Acada biseriata
• Acleros mackenii
• Andronymus caesar
• Andronymus neander
• Artitropa erinnys
• Borbo borbonica
• Borbo detecta
• Borbo fallax
• Borbo fatuellus
• Borbo ferruginea
• Borbo gemella
• Borbo holtzii
• Borbo lugens
• Borbo micans
• Fresna nyassae
• Gegenes hottentota
• Gegenes niso
• Gegenes pumilio
• Kedestes barberae
• Kedestes callicles
• Kedestes chaca
• Kedestes lenis
• Kedestes lepenula
• Kedestes macomo
• Kedestes mohozutza
• Kedestes nerva
• Kedestes niveostriga
• Kedestes sarahae
• Kedestes wallengrenii
• Moltena fiara
• Parnara monasi
• Parosmodes morantii
• Pelopidas mathias
• Pelopidas thrax
• Platylesches ayresii
• Platylesches dolomitica
• Platylesches galesa
• Platylesches moritili
• Platylesches neba
• Platylesches picanini
• Platylesches robustus
• Platylesches tina
• Zenonia zeno
• Zophopetes dysmephila

Family Lycaenidae

Subfamily Poritiinae

thumb|right|Alaena amazoula

• Alaena amazoula
• Alaena margaritacea
• Baliochila aslanga
• Baliochila lipara
• Cnodontes penningtoni
• Deloneura immaculata
• Deloneura millari
• Durbania amakosa
• Durbania limbata
• Durbaniella clarki
• Durbaniopsis saga
• Ornipholidotos peucetia
• Pentila tropicalis
• Teriomima zuluana

Subfamily Miletinae

• Aslauga australis
• Lachnocnema bibulus
• Lachnocnema durbani
• Lachnocnema laches
• Lachnocnema regularis

• Thestor barbatus
• Thestor basutus
• Thestor brachycerus
• Thestor braunsi
• Thestor calviniae
• Thestor camdeboo
• Thestor claassensi
• Thestor compassbergae
• Thestor dicksoni
• Thestor dryburghi
• Thestor holmesi
• Thestor kaplani
• Thestor montanus
• Thestor murrayi
• Thestor overbergensis
• Thestor penningtoni
• Thestor petra
• Thestor pictus
• Thestor pringlei
• Thestor protumnus
• Thestor rileyi
• Thestor rooibergensis
• Thestor rossouwi
• Thestor stepheni
• Thestor strutti
• Thestor vansoni
• Thestor yildizae

Subfamily Aphnaeinae

• Aloeides almeida
• Aloeides apicalis
• Aloeides aranda
• Aloeides arida
• Aloeides bamptoni
• Aloeides barbarae
• Aloeides barklyi
• Aloeides braueri
• Aloeides caffrariae
• Aloeides caledoni
• Aloeides carolynnae
• Aloeides clarki
• Aloeides damarensis
• Aloeides dentatis
• Aloeides depicta
• Aloeides dicksoni
• Aloeides dryas
• Aloeides egerides
• Aloeides gowani
• Aloeides henningi
• Aloeides juana
• Aloeides kaplani
• Aloeides lutescens
• Aloeides macmasteri
• Aloeides maluti
• Aloeides margaretae
• Aloeides mbuluensis
• Aloeides merces
• Aloeides molomo
• Aloeides monticola
• Aloeides nollothi
• Aloeides nubilus
• Aloeides oreas
• Aloeides pallida
• Aloeides penningtoni
• Aloeides pierus
• Aloeides pringlei
• Aloeides quickelbergei
• Aloeides rileyi
• Aloeides rossouwi
• Aloeides simplex
• Aloeides stevensoni
• Aloeides susanae
• Aloeides swanepoeli
• Aloeides taikosama
• Aloeides thyra
• Aloeides titei
• Aloeides trimeni
• Aloeides vansoni
• Aphnaeus hutchinsonii
• Argyraspodes argyraspis
• Axiocerses amanga
• Axiocerses coalescens
• Axiocerses croesus

thumb|right|Male Axiocerses tjoane

• Axiocerses tjoane
• Chloroselas mazoensis
• Chloroselas pseudozeritis
• Chrysoritis adonis
• Chrysoritis aethon
• Chrysoritis aridus
• Chrysoritis aureus
• Chrysoritis azurius
• Chrysoritis beaufortius
• Chrysoritis beulah
• Chrysoritis blencathrae
• Chrysoritis braueri
• Chrysoritis brooksi
• Chrysoritis chrysantas
• Chrysoritis chrysaor
• Chrysoritis daphne
• Chrysoritis dicksoni
• Chrysoritis endymion
• Chrysoritis felthami
• Chrysoritis irene
• Chrysoritis lycegenes
• Chrysoritis lyncurium
• Chrysoritis midas
• Chrysoritis natalensis
• Chrysoritis nigricans
• Chrysoritis oreas
• Chrysoritis orientalis
• Chrysoritis palmus
• Chrysoritis pan
• Chrysoritis pelion
• Chrysoritis penningtoni
• Chrysoritis perseus
• Chrysoritis phosphor
• Chrysoritis plutus
• Chrysoritis pyramus
• Chrysoritis pyroeis
• Chrysoritis rileyi
• Chrysoritis swanepoeli
• Chrysoritis thysbe
• Chrysoritis trimeni
• Chrysoritis turneri
• Chrysoritis uranus
• Chrysoritis violescens
• Chrysoritis zeuxo
• Chrysoritis zonarius
• Cigaritis ella
• Cigaritis mozambica
• Cigaritis namaquus
• Cigaritis natalensis
• Cigaritis phanes
• Crudaria capensis
• Crudaria leroma
• Crudaria wykehami
• (Erikssonia acraeina)
• Erikssonia edgei

• Phasis braueri
• Phasis clavum
• Phasis pringlei
• Phasis thero
• Trimenia argyroplaga
• Trimenia macmasteri
• Trimenia malagrida
• Trimenia wallengrenii
• Trimenia wykehami
• Tylopaedia sardonyx

Subfamily Theclinae

• Capys alphaeus
• Capys disjunctus
• Capys penningtoni
• Deudorix antalus
• Deudorix dariaves
• Deudorix dinochares
• Deudorix dinomenes
• Deudorix diocles
• Deudorix penningtoni
• Deudorix vansoni
• Hypolycaena buxtoni

• Hypolycaena caeculus
• Hypolycaena lochmophila
• Hypolycaena philippus
• Iolaus aemulus
• Iolaus alienus
• Iolaus aphnaeoides
• Iolaus bowkeri
• Iolaus diametra
• Iolaus lulua
• Iolaus mimosae
• Iolaus nasisii
• Iolaus pallene
• Iolaus sidus
• Iolaus silarus
• Iolaus silas
• Iolaus subinfuscata
• Iolaus trimeni
• Leptomyrina gorgias
• Leptomyrina henningi
• Leptomyrina hirundo
• Leptomyrina lara
• Myrina dermaptera
• Myrina silenus

Subfamily Lycaeninae

• Lycaena clarki
• Lycaena orus

Subfamily Polyommatinae

• Actizera lucida
• Actizera stellata
• Anthene amarah
• Anthene butleri
• Anthene contrastata
• Anthene crawshayi
• Anthene definita
• Anthene juanitae
• Anthene kersteni
• Anthene lemnos
• Anthene lindae
• Anthene liodes
• Anthene millari
• Anthene minima
• Anthene otacilia
• Anthene princeps
• Anthene talboti
• Azanus jesous
• Azanus mirza
• Azanus moriqua
• Azanus natalensis
• Azanus ubaldus
• Brephidium metophis
• Cacyreus dicksoni
• Cacyreus lingeus
• Cacyreus marshalli
• Cacyreus tespis
• Cacyreus virilis
• Cupidopsis cissus
• Cupidopsis jobates
• Eicochrysops hippocrates
• Eicochrysops messapus
• Euchrysops barkeri
• Euchrysops dolorosa
• Euchrysops malathana
• Euchrysops osiris
• Euchrysops subpallida
• Freyeria trochylus
• Harpendyreus noquasa
• Harpendyreus notoba
• Harpendyreus tsomo
• Lampides boeticus
• Lepidochrysops asteris
• Lepidochrysops australis
• Lepidochrysops bacchus
• Lepidochrysops badhami
• Lepidochrysops balli
• Lepidochrysops braueri
• Lepidochrysops dukei
• Lepidochrysops glauca
• Lepidochrysops grahami
• Lepidochrysops gydoae
• Lepidochrysops ignota
• Lepidochrysops irvingi
• Lepidochrysops jamesi
• Lepidochrysops jefferyi
• Lepidochrysops ketsi
• Lepidochrysops lerothodi
• Lepidochrysops letsea
• Lepidochrysops littoralis
• Lepidochrysops loewensteini
• Lepidochrysops lotana
• Lepidochrysops macgregori
• Lepidochrysops methymna
• Lepidochrysops oosthuizeni
• Lepidochrysops oreas
• Lepidochrysops ortygia
• Lepidochrysops outeniqua
• Lepidochrysops patricia
• Lepidochrysops penningtoni
• Lepidochrysops pephredo
• Lepidochrysops plebeia
• Lepidochrysops poseidon
• Lepidochrysops praeterita
• Lepidochrysops pringlei
• Lepidochrysops procera
• Lepidochrysops puncticilia
• Lepidochrysops quickelbergei
• Lepidochrysops robertsoni
• Lepidochrysops rossouwi
• Lepidochrysops southeyae
• Lepidochrysops swanepoeli
• Lepidochrysops swartbergensis
• Lepidochrysops tantalus
• Lepidochrysops titei
• Lepidochrysops trimeni
• Lepidochrysops vansoni
• Lepidochrysops variabilis
• Lepidochrysops victori
• Lepidochrysops wykehami
• Leptotes babaulti
• Leptotes brevidentatus
• Leptotes jeanneli
• Leptotes pirithous
• Leptotes pulchra
• Orachrysops ariadne
• Orachrysops brinkmani
• Orachrysops lacrimosa
• Orachrysops mijburghi
• Orachrysops montanus
• Orachrysops nasutus
• Orachrysops niobe
• Orachrysops regalis
• Orachrysops subravus
• Orachrysops violescens
• Orachrysops warreni
• Oraidium barberae
• Pseudonacaduba sichela
• Tarucus bowkeri
• Tarucus sybaris
• Tarucus thespis
• Tuxentius calice
• Tuxentius hesperis
• Tuxentius melaena
• Uranothauma nubifer
• Zintha hintza
• Zizeeria knysna
• Zizina antanossa
• Zizula hylax

Family Pieridae

Subfamily Pierinae

• Appias epaphia
• Appias sabina
• Belenois aurota
• Belenois creona
• Belenois gidica
• Belenois thysa
• Belenois zochalia
• Colotis agoye
• Colotis amata
• Colotis antevippe
• Colotis auxo
• Colotis celimene
• Colotis danae
• Colotis doubledayi
• Colotis eris
• Colotis erone
• Colotis euippe
• Colotis evagore
• Colotis evenina
• Colotis ione
• Colotis lais
• Colotis pallene
• Colotis regina
• Colotis subfasciatus
• Colotis vesta
• Dixeia charina
• Dixeia doxo
• Dixeia pigea
• Dixeia spilleri
• Eronia cleodora
• Eronia leda
• Leptosia alcesta
• Mylothris agathina
• Mylothris rueppellii
• Mylothris trimenia
• Nepheronia argia
• Nepheronia buquetii
• Nepheronia thalassina
• Pieris brassicae
• Pinacopteryx eriphia
• Pontia helice

Subfamily Coliadinae

• Catopsilia florella
• Colias electo
• Eurema brigitta
• Eurema desjardinsii
• Eurema hecabe

Family Papilionidae

Subfamily Papilioninae

• Graphium angolanus
• Graphium antheus
• Graphium colonna
• Graphium leonidas
• Graphium morania
• Graphium policenes
• Graphium porthaon
• Papilio constantinus
• Papilio dardanus
• Papilio demodocus
• Papilio echerioides
• Papilio euphranor
• Papilio nireus
• Papilio ophidicephalus

See also

• List of moths of South Africa

References

• Seitz, A. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plates
• Seitz, A. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Text

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 .