''Hypolimnas anthedon'', the variable eggfly or variable diadem, is a

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

Hypolimnas ''Hypolimnas'' is a genus of tropical brush-footed butterflies commonly known as eggflies or diadems. The genus contains approximately 23 species, most of which are found in Africa, Asia, and Oceania. One species, the Danaid eggfly (''H. misipp ...

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 ...

found in

southern Africa Southern Africa is the southernmost subregion of the African continent, south of the Congo and Tanzania. The physical location is the large part of Africa to the south of the extensive Congo River basin. Southern Africa is home to a number of ...

. There are four known

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

, but it is very variable species with many morphs. The wingspan of the variable eggfly is 75–80 for males and 74–90 for females. Its flight period is year round, peaking in late summer. The larva of ''Hypolimnas anthedon'' eat: '' Fleurya'' species, '' Urera camerooensis'', '' Urera camerooensis'', ''

Urtica ''Urtica'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Urticaceae. Many species have stinging hairs and may be called nettles or stinging nettles, although the latter name applies particularly to ''Urtica dioica''. ''Urtica'' species are food f ...

'', and ''

Berkheya ''Berkheya'' is a genus of flowering plants in the aster family, Asteraceae, and the subfamily Carduoideae, the thistles. It is distributed in tropical Africa, especially in southern regions.Hind, N. (2006)568. ''Berkheya purpurea''. ''Curtis's B ...

''.

Subspecies

*''H. a. anthedon'' (southern Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, southern Sudan, western Kenya, north-western Tanzania, northern and north-western Zambia) *''H. a. drucei'' (Butler, 1874) (Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius) *''H. a. wahlbergi'' (Wallengren, 1857) (Ethiopia, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya (east of the Rift Valley), eastern Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Eswatini ) Naturkundliche Sammlung Übermaxx Überseemuseum Bremen 0034.JPG, ''H. a. drucei'' from

Madagascar Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...

Hypolimnas anthedon Ahozon 2012-01-22.jpg,

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the north ...

References

anthedon Butterflies described in 1845 {{Nymphalinae-stub