Charaxes Fulvescens

''Charaxes fulvescens'', the forest pearl charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.

Taxonomy

''Charaxes varanes'' very pointed forewing
*''Charaxes balfouri''
*''Charaxes analava''
*''Charaxes nicati''
*''Charaxes bertrami''
*''Charaxes defulvata''

Subspecies

Subspecies include:
*''Charaxes fulvescens fulvescens'' (eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo)
*''Charaxes fulvescens imenti'' Plantrou, 1989. (central Kenya)
*''Charaxes fulvescens marialuisae'' Canu, 1989 (Bioko)
*''Charaxes fulvescens monitor'' Rothschild, 1900 (Central African Republic, southern Sudan, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, western Kenya, north-western Tanzania, north-western Zambia)
*''Charaxes fulvescens senegala'' van Someren, 1975 (Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, western Nigeria)

Distribution

This species is found in Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.Afrotropical Butterflies: File H - Charaxinae - Tribe Charaxini
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Habitat

These butterflies usually occur in dense evergreen forests at low to moderate altitudes. Occasionally inhabits savanna. In Tanzania it is found at altitudes of 800 to 2 000 m

Description

''Charaxes fulvescens'' can reach a wingspan of about . The inner half of the wings is white. Outside the white area of the upperside, the wings are orange to brown, with a pattern of lighter and darker flecks. The underside of the wings mimics a dead leaf. A sepia brown straight line divides the under wing in two areas. The inner area is light beige with several curved, interrupted, grey brown wavy lines. The outer area of the underside of the hindwing has a large eyespot and shows a well developed outer spur. Males and females are similar.Learn about butterflies.
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Description in Seitz

''Ch. fulvescens''. Distal margin of the forewing in the first three races nearly straight. Forewing above in the basal part light yellow. Hindwing not angled at vein 2. Upper surface of both wings darker in the marginal part than in '' varanes''.- ''fulvescens'' Auriv. Both wings beneath light straw-yellow at the base. Sierra Leone to Gaboon. ''monitor'' Rothsch. Wings beneath yellow-grey or olive-coloured at the base. Congo to Uganda and German East Africa. - ''comoranus'' Auriv.[= ''Charaxes fulvescens'' ssp. ''saperanus'' Poulton, 1926 = ''Charaxes saperanus]''. Basal area of both wings above uniform light orange- yellow without white; the inner spots in the black distal part of the forewing above much produced transversely; the dark marginal band on the upperside of the hindwing much narrower than in the other races. Comoros: Mayotte. - '' acuminatus'' Thurau. ow speciesForewing with the distal margin deeply excised and long, sharp, falcate apex; the orange or red-brown spots in the black marginal area small or indistinct. German East Africa.

Biology

The larvae feed on '' Allophylus'' species, including '' A. macrobothrys'', '' A. africanus'', '' A. macrostachys'' and '' A. subcoriaceus''. Notes on the biology of ''fulvescens'' are provided by Larsen, T.B. (1991) and (2005) Larsen, T.B. 2005 ''Butterflies of West Africa''. Apollo Books, Svendborg, Denmark: 1-595

References

* Victor Gurney Logan Van Someren (1963). Revisional notes on African ''Charaxes'' (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Part I. ''Bulletin of the British Museum'' (Natural History) (Entomology) 195-242

External links

''Charaxes fulvescens maesseni'' images
at Consortium for the Barcode of Life
''Charaxes fulvescens marialuisae'' images
at BOLD
''Charaxes fulvescens monitor'' images
at BOLD
Images of ''C. fulvescens monitor''
Royal Museum for Central Africa (Albertine Rift Project)

Butterflies described in 1891
fulvescens
Butterflies of Africa

{{Charaxinae-stub