''Amauris echeria'', the chief, is a

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

of the family

Nymphalidae The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a red ...

. It is found in southern

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

. The

wingspan The wingspan (or just span) of a bird or an airplane is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777–200 has a wingspan of , and a wandering albatross (''Diomedea exulans'') caught in 1965 had a wingspan of ...

is 55–65 mm for males and 63–70 for females. Adults are on wing year round (with peaks in summer and autumn). The larvae feed on ''

Tylophora anomala ''Tylophora'' is a genus of climbing plant or vine, first described as a genus in 1810. It is native to tropical and subtropical Asia, Africa, and Australia. Most of the species are perennial lianas. The name is derived from the Ancient Greek '' ...

'', '' Tylophora stolzii'', ''

Cynanchum chirindense ''Cynanchum'' is a genus of about 300 species including some swallowworts, belonging to the family Apocynaceae. The taxon name comes from Greek ''kynos'' (meaning "dog") and ''anchein'' ("to choke"), hence the common name for several species is ...

'', ''

Gymnema ''Gymnema'' (Neo-Latin, from Greek γυμνὀς ''gymnos'', "naked" and νῆμα, ''nēma'', "thread") is a genus in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1810. One species, ''Gymnema sylvestre ''Gymnema sylvestre'' is a pere ...

'' (including ''

Gymnema sylvestre ''Gymnema sylvestre'' is a perennial woody vine native to Asia (including the Arabian Peninsula), Africa and Australia. It has been used in Ayurvedic medicine. Common names include gymnema, Australian cowplant, and Periploca of the woods, and the ...

''), ''

Marsdenia ''Marsdenia'' is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1810. It is named in honor of the plant collector and Secretary of the Admiralty, William Marsden. The plants are native to tropical regions in Asia, Afri ...

'' (including ''

Marsdenia angolensis ''Marsdenia'' is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1810. It is named in honor of the plant collector and Secretary of the Admiralty, William Marsden. The plants are native to tropical regions in Asia, Afri ...

'' and ''

Marsdenia racemosa ''Marsdenia'' is a genus of plants in the family Apocynaceae first described as a genus in 1810. It is named in honor of the plant collector and Secretary of the Admiralty, William Marsden. The plants are native to tropical regions in Asia, Afri ...

'') and ''

Secamone ''Secamone'' is a genus of plant in family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1810. It is widespread across much of Africa, northern Australia, southern Asia, with numerous species endemic to Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagas ...

'' (including ''

Secamone africana ''Secamone'' is a genus of plant in family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1810. It is widespread across much of Africa, northern Australia, southern Asia, with numerous species endemic to Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagas ...

'' and ''

Secamone parviflora ''Secamone'' is a genus of plant in family Apocynaceae, first described as a genus in 1810. It is widespread across much of Africa, northern Australia, southern Asia, with numerous species endemic to Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagas ...

'')."''Amauris'' Hübner, 1816"
at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms''

Subspecies

left, ''A. e. katangae'' Neave, 1910 *''A. e. echeria'' – Cape to Natal, Zululand, Transvaal *''A. e. abessinica'' Schmidt, 1921 – Eritrea, northern Ethiopia *''A. e. chyuluensis'' van Someren, 1939 – south-eastern Kenya (Chyulu, Sagala, Emali, Teita) *''A. e. contracta'' Talbot, 1940 – western Kenya, Kitale *''A. e. fernandina'' Schultze, 1914 – Fernando Póo (Macías Nguema Island) *''A. e. jacksoni'' Sharpe, 1892 – Kenya west of the Rift Valley *''A. e. katangae'' Neave, 1910 – southern Zaire (southern Shaba), Zambia *''A. e. kikuyu'' Talbot, 1940 – eastern Kenya (Katamayu to Meru, Nyambeni) *''A. e. lobengula'' (Sharpe, 1890) – Rhodesia, southern Mozambique, southern Malawi (Mount Mlanje) *''A. e. meruensis'' Talbot, 1940 – northern Tanzania (Arusha, Moshi, Nogorongoro) *''A. e. mongallensis'' Carpenter, 1928 – southern Sudan, northern Uganda *''A. e. mpala'' Talbot, 1940 – highlands of Zaire *''A. e. occidentalis'' Schmidt, 1921 – Cameroon *''A. e. septentrionis'' Poulton, 1924 – northern Kenya (Marsabit, Nyiro, Kulal) *''A. e. serica'' Talbot, 1940 – southern Tanzania, northern Malawi *''A. e. steckeri'' Kheil, 1890 – southern Ethiopia, western Ethiopia, southern Sudan *''A. e. terrena'' Talbot, 1940 – western Uganda, eastern Zaire, north-western Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi *''A. e. whytei'' Butler, 1894 – southern Malawi (Zomba Plateau)

References

Seitz, A. ''Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde'' 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 24
nominate and ''jacksoni'' Sharpe, 1892
Seitz, A. ''Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde'' 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 25
ssp. ''lobengula'' misspelling Amauris Butterflies described in 1790 {{Danainae-stub