Euphaedra eleus

Euphaedra eleus, the Eleus orange forester, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.[2] The habitat consists of primary forests and secondary forests with a closed canopy.

Euphaedra eleus
in Ankasa Conservation Area, Ghana
Ventral view
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Nymphalidae
Genus:
Euphaedra
Species:
E. eleus
Binomial name
Euphaedra eleus
(Drury, 1782)[1]
Synonyms
  • Papilio eleus Drury, 1782
  • Euphaedra (Euphaedrana) eleus

Adults mimic the day-flying moth Scopula helcita.

The larvae feed on Phialodiscus unijugatus, Deinbollia, Allophylus and Paullinia species.

Description

Upperside. Antennae black, with two small white spots at the base. Thorax and abdomen black, spotted with two rows of white spots, in pairs, from the neck to the anus; those on the abdomen being the least. Half the superior wings next the tips black, with two white streaks thereon placed obliquely; the other half next to the body dirty orange, the anterior edges being black. Posterior wings dirty orange, bordered along the external edges with black, whereon is a row of seven oval white spots on each wing, placed at equal distances.

Underside. Palpi and breast orange. Forelegs orange, the rest white. Wings on this side dark orange coloured. The white streaks near the tips of the anterior ones are very plain. Anterior edges of the posterior wings white, and the row of white spots along the external edges are here very conspicuous, each being verged with black. Wingspan ​3 1⁄2 inches (88 mm).[3]

Subspecies
  • Euphaedra eleus eleus (Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, northern Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, western Uganda)
  • Euphaedra eleus gigas Hecq, 1996 (south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo)

References
  1. "Euphaedra Hübner, [1819]" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. Afrotropical Butterflies: Nymphalidae - Tribe Adoliadini
  3. Drury, Dru (1837). Westwood, John (ed.). Illustrations of Exotic Entomology. 3. p. 15. pl. XII.


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