Butterflies
of
The Centre Of Light
Gardens
There are an estimated 20 000 species of butterfly fluttering upon pristine planet Earth, more than 660 of which are found in South Africa!
Information as per: Field Guide To Butterflies Of South Africa, by Steve Woodhall, published in 2005.
Common Name
Scientific Name
Family
Subfamily
Genus
Known As
African Migrant or Common Vagrant
African Monarch
African or Common Leopard
Blue Pansy
Broad-bordered Grass Yellow
Brown-veined White
Citrus Swallowtail
Common Diadem
Common Dotted Border
Common Scarlet
Eyed Pansy
Foxy Emperor
Garden Acrea
Garden Inspector or Garden Commodore
Henning's Black-eye
Meadow White
Painted Lady
Small Orange Acraea
Sooty Blue
Twin-dotted border
Wandering Donkey Acraea
Yellow pansy
Zebra White
Catopsilia florella florella & pyrene
Pieridae
Coliadinae
Catopsilia
Migrants
6 species in world; 3 in Africa; 1 in SA
World, Africa & SA species
Danaus chrysippus aegyptius
Phalanta phalantha aethiopica
Junonia oenone oenone
Eurema brigitta brigitta
Belenois aurota aurota
Papilio demodocus demodocus
Hypolimnas misippus
Mylothris agathina agathina
Axiocerses tjoane tjoane
Junonia orithya madagascariensis
Charaxes jasius saturnus
Acraea horta
Precis archesia archesia
Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
Pieridae
Pieridae
Papilionidae
Nymphalidae
Pieridae
Lycaenidae
Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
Danainae
Heliconiinae
Nymphalinae
Coliadinae
Pierinae
Papilioninae
Nymphalinae
Pierinae
Lycaeninae
Nymphalinae
Charaxinae
Heliconiinae
Nymphalinae
Danaus
Phalanta
Junonia
Eurema
Belenois
Papilio
Hypolimnas
Mylothris
Axiocerses
Junonia
Charaxes
Acraea
Precis
Monarchs
Leopards
Pansies
Grass Yellows
Whites
Swallowtails
Diadems
Dotted Borders
Scarlets
Pansies
Emperors
Bitter Acraeas
Commodores
11 species in world; 1 in SA
5 species in world; 4 in Africa; 2 in SA
35 species in world; 18 in Africa; 6 in SA
70 species in world; 9 in Africa; 3 in SA
30 species in Africa; 5 in SA
220 species in world; 90 in Africa; 7 in SA
30 species in world; 15 in Africa; 3 in SA
69 species in Africa; 3 in SA
20 species in Africa; 4 in SA
35 species in world; 18 in Africa; 6 in SA
200 species in world; 169 in Africa; 23 in SA
101 species in world; 21 in SA
15 species in Africa; 4 in SA
Leptomyrina henningi
Pontia helice helice
Vanessa cardui
Hyalites eponina
Zizeeria knysna
Mylothris rueppellii haemus
Acraea neobule neobule
Junonia hierta cebrene
Pinacopteryx eriphia eriphia
Lycaenidae
Pieridae
Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
Lycaenidae
Pieridae
Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
Pieridae
Lycaeninae
Pierinae
Nymphalinae
Heliconiinae
Lycaeninae
Pierinae
Heliconiinae
Nymphalinae
Pierinae
Leptomyrina
Pontia
Vanessa
Acraea
Zizeeria
Mylothris
Acraea
Junonia
Pinacopteryx
Black-eyes
Whites
Painted Lady
Bitter Acraeas
Blues
Dotted Borders
Bitter Acraeas
Pansies
Zebra White
9 species in Africa; 4 in SA
10 species in world; 4 in Africa; 1 in SA
14 species in world; 2 in Africa; 1 in SA
101 species in world; 21 in SA
2 species in Africa; 1 in SA
69 species in Africa; 3 in SA
101 species in world; 21 in SA
35 species in world; 18 in Africa; 6 in SA
Monotypic
Other Blues are yet to be definitivley distinguished in the gardens, among them the Common Meadow Blue, Cupreous Blue, Babault's Blue and Long-tailed Blue.
Spotted Sailer and some 'brownish' butterflies still to be definitively identified.
Compiled by: RB, May 2008 & Apr 2009