''Vanessula'' is a
monotypic
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...
butterfly genus in the family
Nymphalidae. It contains only one species, ''Vanessula milca'', the black and orange or lady's maid. It is found in
Guinea
Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, wo, Gine, nqo, ߖߌ߬ߣߍ߫, bm, Gine officially the Republic of Guinea (french: République de Guinée), is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the we ...
,
Sierra Leone,
Liberia
Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
,
Ivory Coast
Ivory Coast, also known as Côte d'Ivoire, officially the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire, is a country on the southern coast of West Africa. Its capital is Yamoussoukro, in the centre of the country, while its largest city and economic centre is ...
,
Ghana,
Nigeria,
Cameroon,
Gabon, the
Republic of the Congo
The Republic of the Congo (french: République du Congo, ln, Republíki ya Kongó), also known as Congo-Brazzaville, the Congo Republic or simply either Congo or the Congo, is a country located in the western coast of Central Africa to the w ...
,
Angola, the
Democratic Republic of the Congo,
Uganda,
Kenya,
Tanzania and
Zambia.
[Afrotropical Butterflies: Nymphalidae - Nymphalinae Incertae sedis]
/ref> The habitat consists of dense and riverine forests.
Subspecies
*''Vanessula milca milca'' (Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana)
*''Vanessula milca angustifascia'' Joicey & Talbot, 1928 (Ivory Coast: Nimba Mountains)
*''Vanessula milca buechneri'' Dewitz, 1887 (eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo)
*''Vanessula milca latifasciata'' Joicey & Talbot, 1928 (eastern, northern and southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, western Kenya, western Tanzania, Zambia)
References
Nymphalinae
Monotypic butterfly genera
Taxa named by Hermann Dewitz
{{Nymphalinae-stub