South Africa diary

[Charaxes]

Hello everyone,
I arrived back at the farm a couple of weeks ago, (a few more weeks have passed since I wrote this) after leaving behind a cold and wet UK. Since departing I’ve heard temperatures have dropped even more back in England, so timing seemed to be pretty perfect. Here in South Africa, in Limpopo province, it seems to be the polar opposite – we are experiencing a heat wave, and since arriving day time temperatures have been consistently in the high thirties and there has been a distinct lack of rain for the season so far. The bush is looking very green, although the understory is struggling and over the last few days the new spring grass is starting to frazzle. We’ve had a good few years of high rainfall so perhaps this will be different, and the start of a drought period. Only time will tell, and I’m hopeful as always that soon good rains will fall. (subsequently we had 80mm fall during one night which really brought the place to life)

The other marked difference between UK and here at this time of the year is the amount of ‘life’. Despite the lack of rain over the last two months the bush is absolutely buzzing with insects and other creatures. The birds are very busy nesting and a few of the nest boxes I put up before leaving have been occupied, one by Plum Coloured Starlings and the other by Glossy Starlings.

And the main topic of interest hasn’t disappointed either! There are not the numbers of butterflies out compared to when we left in the South African autumn but there is a large variety and I’m notching up quite a substantial tally already. Most of the common species such as guineafowl, common leopard and yellow pansies are present in numbers and I’ve noticed this last week some hatches happening, and everyday a few new individuals in and around the garden.

With the heat at the moment I’m keeping an area of earth wet next to the vegetable patch to attract any passing mud puddlers, and so far I’ve been kept busy with various species stopping by. Lots of lycaenids are always present, and this morning I was extremely surprised to see the largest resident blue here – the Patrician Blue sucking at the wet earth. I’ve very rarely seen these butterflies at wet ground so I was very pleased to see a fresh female, followed a few minutes later by a male in somewhat poorer condition. Then a highlight a few minutes later was a beautiful Large Striped Swordtail. Yesterday, just by chance, I spotted one sitting low down in a thorn tree and managed to get a couple of pictures. And then earlier today I spotted two separate individuals passing through the garden so wasn’t surprised when one settled at the mud for a few minutes before continuing on its way. I only saw one of these butterflies last season so to see four already is quite exciting. (since these early sightings the tally is up around 30 which is a particularly high number compared to previous years)

Other highlights include the third ever Velvet Spotted Paradise Skipper I have seen (correction - for some reason I wrote veined skipper here, which I hadn't ever recorded on the farm... but it turned out I would be lucky enough to see two specimens some months later). This one wasn’t hanging around and only stayed long enough for a positive identification to be made. Then earlier today while walking back from the Wifi, I saw one of it’s close relatives; the white cloaked skipper. Again, it wasn’t planning to stop, but its bright white colour and flight pattern meant ID was easy and I watched it pass along the road for at least 60-70 metres before I losing sight of it round a corner. During the walk I also checked some Buffalo Thorn trees in flower. These are a magnet to many species of insect and a few butterflies have a particular affinity for them. On one I found a cluster of about 15 Eastern Scarlets which were so busy nectaring that any amount of disturbance wouldn't cause them to fly. Interestingly, all of these were concentrated on one part of one tree, and on five or six other trees I checked, I only saw the odd butterfly.

There are also a good number of Barber,'s Acraeas around, both male and female. This species is only found in this area of the country so it’s always a pleasure to see a good number of them – the male is a striking red and is very hard to miss. During the first week there were many common diadems, more females than males and most were of an extremely large size. Judging by most of the individual's conditions they had been flying already for a while, and now a week later numbers have dropped off considerably, only to be replaced by their model, the African Plain Tiger.

A few Charaxes are around but not large numbers - I think the fire which burnt many key areas of the farm is the reason there are so few. I’ve seen four species so far and was pleased to find a female Charaxes achaemenes achaemenes this morning, which is perhaps the rarest Charaxes to see here. The males of this species are plentiful but the females are very scarce. Because this female is very old I’ve kept her in a mating cage and hope she may lay some eggs. Talking of eggs, a few days ago I found a cluster of around 100 large (1mm+) moth eggs stuck to the side of my uncle’s house. It looked like the moth had been attracted to an outside light and then was overcome with the need to oviposit. I carefully removed them but with low expectations for them to hatch. I needn’t have been concerned because this morning when I checked around 10 very small yellowish larvae had just emerged. I have absolutely no idea what species of moth they are and what the food plant is, so there is no guarantee of them surviving. I’ve provided a few options of various trees and will see what occurs. They are surely some sort of large emperor so if they do survive soon enough I’ll have my work cut out providing them with enough feed. (I've since discovered they are Mopane moth larvae and they are quickly developing huge appetites)

Going back to the Charaxes, a few days ago a good few were collected on the carcase of a dead Mt. Reedbuck. I spotted this a few days before and already not much was left although quite a few butterflies were imbibing from the remains. During one night a few mm of rain fell and the next morning, while the ground was still wet I took a walk and had a look at the carcase. The spot was alive with butterflies and around 15 species were scattered over the Reedbuck. The most numerous were Yellow pansies, around 15 fresh individuals giving the scene a splash of bright colour. Common leopards, Purple Brown Hairstreaks and Eastern Scarlets were also in attendance along with a variety of other lycaenids. Three Charaxes were also present – Pearl Spotted, Bushveld and Foxy Charaxes as well as a couple of species of skipper. The spot was an absolute hive of activity but the smell was the deciding factor for me to leave, after having a good look at what was going on.

Like last year around this time the jacaranda trees which surround the house are in flower, and again every evening hundreds of hawk moths can be heard and seen buzzing around the high flowers. This year the little sparrow hawk is hunting them once again, and joining are a pair of fork tailed Drongos who can usually be heard before they are seen. These birds are adept at mimicking other species’ calls so it’s interesting to listen to their repertoire – yesterday I heard one impersonating a squirrel’s alarm call.

I’ve also put the moth trap out for a number of nights, or at least for a few hours before going to bed. The activity has been incredible with vast amounts of moths and other insects coming to the light. After 10 or 15 minutes there is a 2 metre cloud of flying insects buzzing around the light and it’s difficult to take a close look of what species are present without getting absolutely covered. I’m reluctant to leave it out all night because usually the area is invaded after a while by large ants and once this happens a massacre ensues. And unfortunately the ants find the activity wherever I put the light. Some of the highlights so far have been a White-ringed Atlas, Cat's Eyed Emperors, a Mopane Moth and a few absolutely beautiful Hampson’s Salads. Hundreds more species have come to the light but so far I’m yet to identify most and probably won’t have time anytime soon.

Other highlights so far include finding a huge baboon spider at the mouth of her burrow. I failed to get a photo but will try again another night. This is the largest spider here and is basically a large tarantula the size of one’s hand (not a small hand!). I also saw an oriental bee hawk dipping for water over puddles after rain, which is a first to see this behaviour. While I was writing I heard the Plum Coloured Starlings sounding very unhappy near their nest box and suspected a snake but found a juvenile Rock Monitor about to enter and eat the young birds. Lucky for the birds, the monitor was scared off by my approach. The first snake to put in an appearance was while my girlfriend was reading on the bed at midday – she spotted a Mozambica Spitting Cobra entering the room, which then proceeded to recline on her yoga mat which was near the door. I managed to catch the snake, a juvenile, and release it a little distance from the house.
There's a lot more to write and after Christmas when things have quietened down will be the next instalment. I'm very pleased to already have seen two new species since I arrived, a Veined Swordtail and a Lilac Tip. The great butterfly enthusiast Swanepoel, who probably covered more ground than any of the other early butterfly collectors, searched for seven years until he found a Lilac Tip. So to see one sitting on a thorn tree flower in the garden was a particularly exciting moment. By the time I had collected a ladder and returned to take a photo of the butterfly it was too late! Just as I started climbing the Lilac Tip stretched its wings and was off to the north. Luckily the Veined Swordtail was a bit more amenable and posed for some images!
Regards and Happy Christmas to those of you who are celebrating, Scott

[David M]

Well, what a feast for the eyes on a dreary December day, Scott.

Beautiful line-up there, especially those diadems.

How I wish I were in a different hemisphere right now!

[bugboy]

it's up against some tough competition but that Dark-webbed Ringlet is my standout from the latest set of images.

[David M]

..Beautiful line-up there, especially those diadems.

My apologies for the error, Scott. This is the butterfly that most impressed me, and I think it's a Yellow Pansy, not a Diadem?

Magnificent creature.

[Charaxes]

Hi Everyone,

David, yes it's a yellow pansy and I agree -It's a stunning insect. Thanks for your comment and vote Bugboy - the Dark Webbed ringlet is also a very special looking creature..

It has been a completely different season here in the bushveld compared to last year when we saw record amounts of rainfall resulting in high butterfly numbers. We started this season with the largest veld fire for the last twenty years and since then rainfall has been minimal meaning conditions have been very hard for not only the butterflies but for all the creatures which live on the farm. That being said there have still be many highlights through the season so far. On top of this my butterfly spotting has been rather limited for the last months because of short amounts of spare time. House renovations, looking after volunteers, preparing for and hosting a yoga retreat back in early February has kept us very busy and left relatively little time to get out in the bush, hence my lack of updates to my diary.

Black-based Acraea - Acraea natalica. One species which is having a very good year in these parts.

Black-based Acraea - Acraea natalica f.umbrata

Probably though, the highlight since I last updated, was the first proper ‘butterfly’ excursion to the top of a mountain late in February. It was a baking hot day in the high thirties and expectations weren’t high but on the walk up we found a number of Red-leaved Figs (Ficus ingens) playing host to many Fig-tree Blues (Myrina silenus ficedula). It was exciting to see these special little insects darting among the branches with their iridescent blue wings flashing as they skipped from one spot to the next. At one tree a couple of males doggedly fought around the higher branches to secure the territory and after five minutes of observation it seemed neither was going to step down very easily. Unfortunately it seems that this species of fig has been overcome with a virus and most trees I’ve seen around the farm have lost ninety percent of their branches, but the overall plant hasn’t been killed so hopefully they will bounce back in the coming years. Perhaps this situation has even helped the Fig-tree Blue population because throughout the season the trees are sprouting new leaves at the base of the dying branches, which the larvae need to successfully feed. Undoubtedly this butterfly uses other fig species as hosts where I haven’t yet observed the larvae (mainly because of the size of the trees) so I believe even if the Red-leaved figs don’t recover there will be alternative food sources.

Umbrella Thorn -Vachellia tortilis. For a couple of weeks the bush was decorated by hundreds of these trees covered in flowers and was quite a sight - maybe comparable to the spring fruit blossoms in the northern hemisphere. It was on one of these trees I saw the first Lilac Tip (Colotis celimene) recorded on the farm.

A little while after seeing the Fig-tree blues we observed a beautiful Bowker’s Marbled Sapphire (Stugeta bowkeri) searching for egg laying sites on one of its host plants, Small-leaved Sourplum/ Blue Sourplum (Ximenia americana) which is also a host plant for the Bush Scarlet (Axiocerses amanga) Purple brown Hairstreak (Hypolycaena phillippus phillippus) and several Iolaus species. This species is always a joy to see and many have popped up this season. During the very hot heat spells I’ve even observed some individuals coming to the flowers in the vegetable patch which has not happened before, or at least I haven’t seen them there before.

Bowker's Marbled Sapphire (Stugeta bowkeri) on a Small-leaved Sourplum flower

Just after seeing the previous butterfly a newly emerged Dusky Russet (Aloeides taikosama) was seen flitting between the grass clumps and kindly settled for a photo. These butterflies are blended perfectly with their habitat and once settled can be very difficult to see. Living on rocky hillsides where grass abounds they may perch either on low vegetation, or on a rock if it’s not too hot and once settled are easy to photograph. I’ve yet to obtain an open wing shot although have come close while they feed on flowering trees – though I suspect in their day to day habits they never open their wings but rather obtain all the warmth from sitting in choice spots among rocks. Looking at the literature there could be a number of russets which occur here but still I’ve only been lucky enough to find the one species. I suspect though soon some others may turn up.

Dusky Russet (Aloeides taikosoma) resting on the ground.
Reaching the top of the hill I wasn’t all that hopeful to see many butterflies because of the high temperature. It was still fairly early, around mid-morning so was the plan was to hang around as long as we could take the heat, and see what arrived through towards lunch. A few Charaxes were already zipping around the flat area on top of the hill and I counted four species – candiope, saturnus saturnus, achaemenes achaemenes and jahlusa rex later to be joined by a Charaxes phaeus. But immediately my attention was fixed to a small stout butterfly perched in prime position up on the dead branches of a bush. Before I could make an ID it launched forward and joined two Charaxes in a frantic dog fight around the hilltop.

Pearl spotted Charaxes (Charaxes jahlusa rex) One of the species dog fighting o the mountain top - although this photo is of a more relaxed individual at wet cement in the garden.
Considering its much smaller size this butterfly wasn’t put off by its much larger adversaries and gave an extremely good account of itself before directly returning to its former perch. This was the moment I could take a good look at it and was amazed to see it was a new species for the farm – a Veined Skipper (Abantis venosa). It’s a very beautiful boldly marked and large skipper comparable to a small fighter jet in its shape and over the next hour it proved it was king of the hill on this particular day. Time and time again I watched it confidently take on the groups of Charaxes powering around the area, before returning to its chosen perch. Up close, upon take off its whirring wings could clearly be heard as it launched into battle time and time again. And interestingly its confidence didn’t end with the Charaxes – while perched it wasn’t bothered about my obvious and close approach. Perhaps it is the most confident butterfly I have met here so far.

Veined Skipper (Abantis venosa) on its perch on top of the mountain. First individual to be recorded here.

After a particularly interesting hour on the hill we had to descend because the heat was just too much. This was reflected in the few species which showed up on this day, compared to a similar time to last year. A few Acraeas, African migrants (Catopsilia florella), African Monarchs (Danaus chrysippus), Zebra whites (Pinacopteryx eriphia eriphia) and Tips (Colotis spp.) passed by but there was not much else to see apart from a large number of falcons/kestrels passing on their migration. I would have loved to get a positive identification of these birds but they were simply flying too high to see anything apart from overall shape.

Painted Lady (vanessa cardui) One of the species counted on the day of the vegetable patch count.

Scarlet Tip (Colotis danae annae) male visits the flowers in the vegetable patch.

After this amazing sighting of the Veined Skipper I was to be treated again a few days later. Most mornings around 9.00am when the sun has reached almost all of the vegetatble patch I’ll check what butterflies are feeding on the flowers but on this day I decided to do a butterfly count. All the guests had left and time was available so what better way to spend it than watch butterflies all day long. It was a hot day again, perhaps mid-thirties so I knew butterfly activity would be predominant earlier on. Starting the list around 8.00 am I quickly notched up a good tally of species, some not expected such as the first Apricot Playboy (Deudorix dinochares) of the year and a Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) which I hadn’t seen much of since high numbers passed through late in 2023 on their northerly migration.

Olive-haired Swift (Borbo borbonica borbonica) First sighting for the farm

The first real highlight of the day was an Olive-haired Swift (Borbo borbonica borbonica),the first I’ve ever recorded on the farm. This stout little skipper is uncommon but quite distinctive with its black ringed hyaline spots on the underside of the hind wing. It also had an amazingly long proboscis, the longest I’ve seen any skipper produce! But this wasn’t the end of the excitement because a little later I was passing a bed of marigolds when I noticed a Veined Skipper (Abantis venosa) feeding on the orange flowers. This time it was a female in perfect condition, and like her male counterpart, very confident and happy to be photographed. It had been hard to get an upper side photo of the male on top of the mountain but this female posed with her wings open for a considerable amount of time, so I could not only admire her but also obtain some good images. Since seeing these butterflies I checked their distribution and abundance on Inaturalist and these two sightings are the furthest west in South Africa by many hundreds of kilometres. There are also only nine, now ten recordings of the Veined Skipper so it seems to be rare as hen’s teeth!

Female Veined Skipper (Abantis venosa) A very welcome surprise and only the second individual seen here. Hoping this one will meet the male I previously saw!

Ragged Skipper (Caprona pillaana) One of the 54 species recorded during the count.

By the end of the day I’d tallied 54 species of butterfly in the vegetable patch, just six shy of my gestimate when I started in the morning. A few commoner species surprised and failed to show up but it was a decent tally considering the small area. Species such as Brown veined whites/Pioneer Caper Whites (Belnois aurota) were very few and far between and I think only one showed itself on this particular day, whereas last year hundreds would have been passing by. African migrants (Catopsilia florella) have taken their place this season and at least fifty were always nectaring at the flowers (95 percent of these are males). It will be interesting to repeat the survey next year and see how things compare. Next instalment I’ll write more how this season compares with last season because there are some huge differences.

Regards, Scott

[Benjamin]

Well that’s all very well Scott but a week last Tuesday I saw the Sun! And with it - a butterfly! I’m not entirely sure what species, because it appeared to be using this rare opportunity to warm up and F-off outta here ASAP - where to I’m not sure, but I suspect like many of us it was at the point of not caring - ANYWHERE ELSE will do!

Only joking of course - there’s always so much to look forward to at this time of year, but I must admit it does seem to have been a particularly long and gloomy winter. Your posts detailing your wonderful farm and surrounding areas provide little ‘coming up for air’ moments that, along with a few other diaries, help many of us endure this prolonged submergence in the British winter.

There are too many recent highlights to pick out anything in particular - it’s all so interesting and I look forward to further updates and info when you get the chance. Great stuff.

[David M]

...It has been a completely different season here in the bushveld compared to last year when we saw record amounts of rainfall resulting in high butterfly numbers. We started this season with the largest veld fire for the last twenty years and since then rainfall has been minimal meaning conditions have been very hard for not only the butterflies but for all the creatures which live on the farm...

Shame to hear that, Scott. If only we could give you some of our rain....it's been practically non-stop!

[Charaxes]

Hi Benjamin, I can only imagine how long and dreary the winter has been there in the UK and I'm happy you guys are starting to see some good signs of change. I bet just seeing a butterfly, even if it did depart the site asap, must have been a fine moment. Exciting times are just around the corner but it seems you guys might have some more rain to come, from the reports I've heard recently. Glad my diary can help a little in these gloomy times too! Things have cooled down here now, and thanks David, we did receive some of your rain! last week things came to a head, and a big storm finally arrived. Around 80mm of rain fell late afternoon and through the night! It was a real relief, and since then the temperatures have dropped to sensible levels and the farm has been transformed almost overnight. Unfortunately though, the eye of the storm seemed to pass right over the house and the wind was so strong that many huge limbs snapped from the Jacaranda trees which surround the house. But luckily, by some stroke of luck, none of the buildings were damaged.

For the last few weeks, we've had a Canadian snake expert, Mark, staying, and so along with the butterflies we've focused our efforts on finding snakes. Since conditions also improved for finding snakes we've even been lucky enough to see two new species for the farm records - A Red lipped Herald and a Mole snake. A few Mozambique Spitting Cobras, Puff adders and Black Mambas have also put in appearances along with a few other species but we haven't been lucky enough to find the target - a boomslang. African rock Pythons have evaded us but a few neighbours have had sightings with a couple of very large ones being seen.

Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica)

Mozambique Spitting Cobra (Naja mossambica)

Flap-necked Chameleon hatchling (Chamaeleo dilepis)

Brown House Snake (Lamprophis fuliginosus)

A few months ago I found a large number of white moth eggs stuck to the outside wall of my uncles house, near where there is an outside light (mentioned in a previous post). I collected them but having no idea what species had laid them It seemed a bit of luck would be needed to find the right food plant. I had my suspicions what species it might be so thought I could try a range of food plants should they hatch. A week or so later I noticed a few tiny larvae breaking out of their white eggs and eating part of the shell once they were free. This was quite a surprise because I had more or less given up hope they would hatch after so many days had already passed since I found the eggs.

Mopane Moth (Gonimbrasia belina) first instar
With few types of leaves offered, the new larvae settled and started eating Marula leaves towards the end of the day. The little caterpillars also tended to group together on a leaf and this behaviour narrowed the possibiities of species to one of the emperor moths. I suspected probably Mopane Moth and a few days later after the first moult this was confirmed.

The caterpillars, 63 in total, grew fast and before I knew it they were large and consuming vast amounts of Marula leaves! And soon it came to the hard decision to release a load onto a Marula tree in the garden because I simply couldn't keep up with their voracious appetites. I estimated, just before release, that they were consuming more than a kg of leaves a day and perhaps as much as 2kg. As fast as I could collect leaves the branches were stripped and the caterpillars were wanting more. Interestingly, even when disturbed the caterpillars kept on feeding - nothing seemed to get in their way to grow and complete their life cycles.

Mopane moth larva freshly after shedding..

keeping just ten individuals made things easier and these, after another few days or week decided it was time to pupate. It was then a fair wait until hatching but a week or two ago when the weather changed and a little rain fell a couple of beautiful moths hatched out. This is the second time I've seen these caterpillars on the farm but up until now I'd never seen a live moth which is surprising for they should be fairly numerous and are attracted to light. As I might of mentioned before in an older post this species is heavily utilised for a source of protein in the north of the country and in Zimbabwe. Hundreds of thousands of larvae are collected annually and dried to later be eaten when convenient. I didn't have the heart to eat any of the larvae we raised and to be fair they didn't look too tasty, compared to some other protein sources!
Regards, Scott

Mopane moth adult freshly emerged

Mopane moth warning pose!

[Charaxes]

A few more pictures for snake lovers..

Mozambique spitting cobra

Puff Adder who true to it's name warned us not to get too close

Looking for snakes out on the farm

A python consuming and antelope sent from a neighbour Alan.

Another picture of a python sent by a neighbour, Gerhard. Definitely the largest we have seen. He suspected it was over 5 M but because of an acute snake fear couldn't get a better photo..

[Charaxes]

I decided to take a ride to a spot on the other side of the farm, and from there take a walk to look for Bowker’s Marbled Sapphires (Stugeta bowkeri). The area has a lot of Blue Sourplum (Ximenia americana), one of the food plants of this butterfly and I’ve seen a number of specimens in this area before.

Bowker's Marbled sapphire (Stugeta bowkeri)

A quick check of the vegetable patch before leaving around 10.00 am produced a fair few butterflies with by far the most numerous being African Migrants (Catopsilia florella) and African Plain Tigers/African Monarch (Danaus chrysippus) both nectaring on the flowers, with the migrants preferring the Zinnias and the Monarchs the marigolds. Four or five Painted Ladies (Vanesa cardui), a Common Leopard (Phalanta phalantha aethiopica) and four Two-pip Policeman (Coeliades Pisistratus) joined the Monarchs on the marigolds, while on the Zinnias a few Banded Gold Tips (Teracolus eris eris), Veined tips (Colotis vesta argillaceus) and a lone Waterberg Acraea (Acraea barberi) nectared alongside the Migrants. The Zinnias prove to be a more dangerous prospect for visiting butterflies for scattered amongst the blooms Flower mantids wait patiently for unsuspecting insects. Skitting around the area were also a scattering of Yellow Pansies ( Junonia hierta cebrene), Common (Biblia ilithyia) and African Jokers (Biblia anvatara acheloia) and the ubiquitous Guinefowl (Hamanumida Daedalus).

Spotted Joker (Byblia ilithyia)

Upon riding out from the garden I spotted a Pearl Spotted Charaxes (Charaxes jahlusa rex) imbibing salts from the ash of an old fire and flying just beyond a nice male Common Diadem (Hypolimnas misippus), while cruising along the dirt track a Bushveld Charaxes (Charaxes achaemenes achaemenes) searching probably for its first meal of the day. Charaxes numbers are high at the moment, fewer than the same time last year but much higher than the start of the season.

African Joker (Byblia anvatara acheloia)
A little way up the road I stopped to have a quick look where we throw the kitchen scraps (unfortunately we had to stop throwing these on the compost heap because of the monkeys) a saw around twenty Guineafowl and a lone Tailed Meadow Blue (Cupidopsis jobates jobates). Growing opposite is a Bead-bean tree (Maerua angolensis), the food plant of the Veined Tip so as usual a handful of these were in the area along with a scattering of Yellow Pansies.

Tailed Meadow Blue (Cupidopsis jobates jobates)

As I carried along through the valley a large eagle took off, disturbed by the noise of the bike and flew low through the trees back the way I had come. With only a glimpse an ID was difficult but more than likely it was an African Hawk Eagle (Hieraaetus spilogaster) hunting Rock Hyraxes (Procavia capensis). A little further I stopped to check on a trail cam what had passed along the road the previous night. The camera showed many baboons on the way to their sleeping place and later on, after dark the resident Leopard heading north towards the house.

On the way to the chosen spot.

Not far from this place the track turns sharpely to the left which is the corner I’ve written about before – perhaps the best place in the area to spot butterflies because of the intersection of valleys. A fair few butterflies were moving and I was pleased to see a Dotted Blue (Tarucus Sybaris) skipping through the high grass. The underside of this small butterfly is very vivid and always a treat to see, and if this isn’t enough the upperside shines such a brilliant blue much time can be spent I the hope the butterfly might settle and open its wings. On this occasion I was had to settle for the inflight blue and wait for another opportunity for an upperside photo because this specimen had no intention of hanging around for long. I spotted another Tailed Meadow Blue and also the first Eastern Scarlet (Axiocerses tjoane tjoane) of the day. Interestingly this season I have only seen Eastern Scarlets and no Bush Scarlets (Axiocerses amanga amanga) which are usually the more commoner of the two species. This is particularly surprising as Bush Scarlets are normally very common and I can only put this down to the fact the fires at the end of last year had a large impact on their population. The Bush Scarlet, like the Bowker’s Marbled Sapphire feeds on the two species of Sour plum, while the Eastern Scarlet feeds on the taller Vachellia (Acacia) tree spp. and so perhaps this played a part of the puzzle. Certainly a lot of the Sour Plum bushes were well and truly burnt so many overwintering pupae were lost. Interestingly the Bowker’s marbled Sapphires have been out in good numbers and perhaps they did better because they are not restricted to Sour Plum, but will feed on various Mistletoes. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens in the next few months and if any Bush Scarlets finally put in an appearance.

Dotted Blue (Tarucus sybaris)

Dotted Blue (Tarucus sybaris)

Among these smaller butterflies I saw a larger species heading down the track towards me which turned out to be another Bushveld Charaxes, which swerved the last second before reaching me and alighted in a Sweet Thorn tree (Vachellia karroo) beside the track. Shortly after a Charaxes saturnus cruised past and in the grass just off the road a Wandering Donkey Acraea (Acraea neobule neobule) gently picked its way south without any intention of stopping. Another kilometre up the track and a herd of impala scattered at my passing and then after a short time I reached a waterhole near the old windmill pump. There a large herd of Kudus were drinking and in the trees around a troop of baboons were feeding on the berries of the Buffalo Thorn trees (Ziziphus mucronata).

Bushveld Charaxes (Charaxes achaemenes achaemenes)

Vachellia Karroo where the Bushveld Charaxes perched. Note the rocky ridge behind - good area to see butterflies travelling to hilltop and further afield.


By the waterhole things were quite because the water was still shaded by the trees, so I splashed a little water to check later on the way home. While doing so I noticed a little way off a large butterfly dropping down into the grass. Upon inspection I was pleased to find a group of Charaxes. Their choice of breakfast was an impala leg, probably dropped by a hyena, and judging by how confident they were it was a very good meal. Three Bushveld and three Foxy Charaxes shared the meal with an Eastern Scarlet and a Mountain Sandman (spialia spio), while a few Spotted Jokers also tentatively joined the feast.

Foxy Charaxes (Charaxes saturnus) feeding on an Impala leg

Foxy Charaxes (Charaxes saturnus) and Bushveld Charaxes (Charaxes achaemenes achaemenes) feed together.

Riding onwards a couple of wildebeest dashed up the track in front and then took back to the bush, and then near my next turning I noticed a Spialia of unknown species flying directly in front of the bike, bobbing along with its characteristic flight pattern – I clocked it at 20km/h before it also veered off and vanished into the roadside bushes. Parking the bike, I started walking and the first butterfly I saw was a fine male Scarlet Tip (Colotis danae annae) ambling down the road towards me. In my opinion one of the most beautiful tips occurring here, the Scarlet tip may pop up anywhere. As I side note; on the road out of the farm where the soil becomes very sandy grow a couple of Cadaba bushes which I believe are C. termintaria on which the Scarlet Tip larvae feeds. Should the sun be out then almost invariably some adults will be found around these small bushes necataring on the flowers, and the larvae can be spotted incredibly easily, even from the car window. Earlier this year I collected some seeds but unfortunately they failed to germinate so another attempt is needed, for to have these bushes in the garden would be special indeed.

Eastern Scarlet (Axiocerses tjoane tjoane)

Other butterflies found along the track included Yellow Pansies, Spotted Jokers, Gold Banded Tips, African Migrants, another Tailed meadow Blue and good numbers of Broad-bordered Grass Yellows ( Eurema brigitta brigitta). Along the edge of the track occasional Mountain Karee trees (Rhus leptodictya) were in flower and attracted a good number of nectaring insects and also a few butterflies including Yellow Pansies and a lone Wandering Donkey Acraea. Throughout the warmer months here, there is always a few species of tree in flower, and these, depending on the species, can be relied upon to bring some butterflies. Some of course stand out in their butterfly attracting power, and I remember many many years ago seeing a small bush in full flower, which was absolutely covered in Bowker’s Marbled Sapphires – unfortunately I can’t remember the species or when this occurred, and although I’ve kept my eyes peeled lately I’ve never been able to find the same spectacle.

Typical habitat along the track I walked. Note the sourplum right side with blue-green leaves.

Further along the track a stout blue butterfly suddenly tumbled down from a Weeping Wattle (Peltophorum africanum), flitted around fast and low, briefly settled before regaining its original height. It’s fast and direct flight pattern made me suspect a Playboy and sure enough through the binoculars I saw a female Playboy but at the distance couldn’t tell whether it was an Apricot (Deudorix dinochares) or Brown (Deudorix antalus). In the centre of the track I noticed a Solifuge or Sun Spider frantically digging termites out of a freshly built mud construction. Not a true spider, many solifugae species occur here, and are always interesting to watch – despite their common name they don’t like to stay in open sun and can sometimes take shelter in an unsuspecting person’s shadow! And as the person invariably retreats to get away from the terrible looking creature, the sun spider follows, keeping to the shade, and so seems like it’s following the person. Sun Spiders can move with impressive speed and so depending on human fear levels, a ‘chase’ can even ensue!

Sun Spider

The walk was turning out to be a very pleasant and relaxing experience and to add to the pleasantness, from the bushes came the beautiful song of the White Throated Robin (Bessonoris humeralis). Compared to the UK, few of the birds here have true song and this species stands out as one of the few with sonorous notes. A gentle breeze blew and up on the mountain to my left the nasal whistles of a Mountain Reedbuck carried down on the wind, as a large Foxy Charaxes sauntered along the track. By this time I was inspecting the numerous Sour Plum bushes beside the road and soon spotted an Eastern Scarlet nectaring at the Sourplums small green flowers. What looked like a Mountain Sandman passed and then moments later I spotted the species I was hoping to meet – A Bowker’s Marbled Sapphire. It was a pristine female flitting around a low bush, inspecting for egg laying sites and taking sporadic rests among the branches to bask before carrying on her activities. Pleasingly, after a few minutes, she attached an ova inside the curve of a low leaf before skipping a little higher in the bush for a rest. What a stunning insect and I believe it’s impossible to ever get tired of seeing this magnificent creature.

Pristine female Bowker's Marbled Sapphire (Stugeta bowkeri) taking a rest from egg laying.

The female laid on these leaves...bottom left in the curl. unfortunately not the best photo.

Female BTS nectaring on sourplum flowers

Another Eastern Scarlet and a slightly tattered Bowker’s Marbled Sapphire missing its tails a little further up the road before I spotted a large Sourplum twenty yards into the bush with a Sapphire circling. I pushed in through the thorns and to my delight saw four sapphires playing and resting around this particular Sourplum. It seems they generally prefer to hang around the few bushes which are in flower and then launch trips out to other Sourplums to lay eggs – like the Scarlets, the Sapphires are also very fond of nectaring at the flowers. It was a beautiful sight to see these marvellous butterflies interacting and I watched for a long time before pulling myself away and continuing onwards. This actually proved to be the highlight of the walk and by the time I got back to the motorbike I had seen a Red Tip (Colotis antevippe gavisa), Migrants feeding on the Mountain Karees along with a bonus Ragged Skipper (Caprona pillaana), Yellow and Blue Pansies (Junonia oenone oenone) skipping in the road and a lone African three-ring (Ypthima asterope) picking its way through the veld.

Bowker's Marbled Sapphire (Stugeta bowkeri)

Bowker's Marbled Sapphire (Stugeta bowkeri)

During the ride back to the waterhole a small white butterfly passed in front of the bike and settled in the grass, which upon inspection was a White-cloaked Skipper (Leucochitonea Levubu) nectaring at a small yellow flower. An uncommon species and one that is often difficult to photograph, this one was uncooperative, and although it nectared at a few flowers, it evaded my camera like a pro!

Foxy Charaxes still enjoying their meal.

Pearl Spotted charaxes (Charaxes jahlusa rex) at the water hole

Common Hairtail (Anthene definita definita) - Particularly scarce this season

Back at the waterhole there was much more activity than when I had passed earlier in the day. Around thirty Guineafowl and fifteen Jokers of both species were puddling at the wet earth along with a handful of Yellow and Blue Pansies and Broad-bordered Grass Yellows. A little cluster of Lycaenids proved to be more Tailed Meadow Blues and one Topaz Spotted (Babul) Blue (Azanus jesous jesous) and nearby a Common Hairtail (Anthene definita definite) sat alone. This is another species which has been incredibly scarce this year compared to previous seasons and I’ve only seen a handful of individuals compared to its cogener the Black-striped Hairtail (Anthene amarah amarah) which has been out in large numbers. The Common Hairtail has a wide variety of larval host plants and for this reason I’m surprised numbers of adults haven’t been higher – another one to watch in the coming seasons. A lone Common African White (Belenois creona severina) stopped briefly for a little moisture and to the side on the cement a Pearl-spotted Charaxes sat quietly sucking at the moisture. Surprisingly back on the impala leg only two Charaxes remained along with two Sandmen. At first glance both looked to be S. spio but after taking some photos I became suspicious and wondered if they were perhaps different species. After some study it seems the second is a Mafa Sandman (Spialia mafa mafa), a species which I’ve been keeping my eyes open for a while now, and so a new species for the farm records.

Happy butterflying, particularly those of you emerging from a long European winter! Scott

Mountain Sandman (right) and Mafa Sandman

Mafa Sandman (Spialia mafa mafa)

[Charaxes]

Towards the east of Limpopo province butterfly diversity increases substantially compared to here on the farm, and this is particularly evident along the escarpment with its varied vegetation types and altitudes. Afromontane forest, savannah, high altitude grassland and riverine forest all roll into one and provide exceptional habitat for a wealth butterfly species and so perhaps there is no better area in the country to see numbers as well as species of butterflies and other insects.

With things being quiet on the farm and some spare time on our hands we decided to head to these new areas and see what might be flying at this time of the year. Normally, autumn here in Limpopo is an extremely good time for butterflies, but this season it’s proving hard going on the farm so to explore a new area held much anticipation. As the crow flies our intended destination lies only about 300km away but by road it’s considerably further, and on a good day would take about six hours to reach by car. Because it’s all new territory we decided to take our time and drive some of the small back roads and enjoy the novelty of being on the road. There is much to see along the way – interesting birds such as black shouldered kites perch on the phone lines, swallows gathering to head north with the change of weather and many larger mammals in the roadside bush of game farms and private reserves. Interesting to also see the change of the vegetation, either caused naturally by subtle changes in climate or geology or by the hand of man. Many fine looking butterfly spots were passed the first day of driving but not much was seen from the car apart the ubiquitous African Plain Tigers and African Migrants and the odd Citrus Swallowtail passing across the road.

Towards the late afternoon the vegetation changed immediately and drastically as we passed from the high savannah to the lowveld region around Tzaneen. Passing through a dry area of bush, tree euphorbias and aloes, the contrast is immediate as the road crosses a peak and descends into what might be a scene from somewhere in the wetter climes of Europe. From a landscape dominated by browns to lush wall to wall green - first pine plantations cloak the hills, then eucalyptus and finally the beautiful native forest with its lush and diverse tropical understory. This area is undoubtedly very fertile and productive, and humans have capitalised reaping the abundance of all sorts of tree crops. Soon large avocado plantations come into view, followed by mangos, kiwi and macadamia.


Later, on approach to a local reserve we would run into a local herpetologist, Vincent, who shared a lot of information about the fauna and flora of the area. Lots is still to be discovered it seems and good areas of indigenous forest remain, but much of the high altitude grassland has been lost to man related activities, which puts the future of at least one rare endemic butterfly, the Wolkberg Zulu at risk.

However, with some good sized nature reserves in the area the future looks secure for many species particularly those living in the rugged mountain regions of the escarpment. It was to one of these we headed after a day of looking around the area. A fellow butterfly enthusiast, Lourens, had pointed us in the right direction and shared a few good tips on spots to visit over the next few days. The main question was would the weather would play ball, because without the sun things would be particularly slow on the butterfly front. The second day had started with thick mist and light drizzle so we were hoping for improved conditions - luckily the weather gods were looking out for us and as we drove towards Lekgalameetse Reserve the sun shone brightly.


On approach we could see the grass-topped mountains of the escarpment in the distance with forest clad hills below. A rough dirt track left the tarred road and headed towards the enticing mountains, and immediately on turning onto this road butterflies started to show themselves. Various Lycaenids, Sailers, Pierids and the occasional Charaxes could be seen, with some of these nectaring at the multitude of roadside flowers. It was hard not to stop and have a quick look at a few unfamiliar species but after a while we pressed on, because in theory things would get a whole lot better when we reached the reserve.

Southern Friar

Satyr Charaxes

And sure enough, after passing the formalities of signing in we started the 12km drive to our accommodation. The first kilometre was simply mind blowing! The road passed through a shady and sun dappled patch of forest where a small stream crossed under the track. This area was simply brimming with butterflies and where ever one looked a different species was seen either sunning itself, nectaring, or passing through the trees. I realised at this point we had just landed in butterfly utopia and struggled to contain the building excitement. Everywhere were Soldier Pansies, common Barred Sailers, Southern Friars, Mocker Swallowtails and the butterfly I was particularly keen to see, the beautiful and stately Mother of Pearl. It quickly transpired that Mother of Pearl and Clouded Mother of Pearl were so common that after a few hours they were knocked down the list and replaced with more sought after species. Of course we still treasured their beauty every time one passed but in that common human trait –rare or unseen is more of interest.

Clouded Mother-of-pearl

Soldier Pansy

Looking along the track through the tunnel of forest, hundreds of butterflies danced, in perhaps the dream vision of many a butterfly enthusiast. Those next kilometres were driven incredibly slowly and many halts ensued as new species were spotted along the way. As we emerged from the initial thick piece of forest many Charaxes started showing along the sunny track, either patrolling or sitting on baboon or other dung in the road. Very quickly we spotted a Pearl Charaxes of large size patrolling along the road side vegetation. This is a powerful and very distinctive butterfly with tawny orange outer wings and pearlescent inner wings and a cryptic underside, which once seen can’t easily be forgotten or mistaken for another species. Very rare back on the farm, it was pleasing to see one so early on, and conveniently this individual soon settled on a bush where we could take a better look at its beauty. We soon found Charaxes achaemenes, C. ethalion, C. candiope, C. brutus and C. saturnus were extremely common and by the time we reached our destination hundreds of these butterflies had passed before our eyes along with a few of the rarer Charaxes species. The first Charaxes ethalion ethalion we saw had unfortunately been involved in a road traffic accident, sustaining a bad injury of two missing wings. This wouldn’t be the first Charaxes we saw injured on the road, even though the track sees just a few vehicles a day, the lure of dung being the butterflies’ fatal downfall.

Charaxes varanes varanes - Pearl Charaxes

Common Barred Sailer

Running in a band along either side of the track is thick low level vegetation liberally dosed with a large variety of flowers of all descriptions, and running back from this vegetation band is indigenous forest off into the distance. The sunny, nectar rich verges are perfect butterfly habitat and almost continuously for the distance to the accommodation were large numbers of butterflies, with some spots of course eclipsing others when all the ingredients were perfectly to the butterflies’ delight. Another small stream passing under the road was such a spot – mud puddlers and nectarers gathered here en masse and very careful driving was needed to avoid the Charaxes and Lycaenids.

Macken's dart

Black-haired Bush Brown

An unfortunate Charaxes achaemenes achaemenes

Suddenly a large and exquisite orange butterfly emerged from the forest and passed over the car. In a second I was out and after the magnificent creature which had alighted on a roadside shrub. Praying for it to remain on its perch, slowly I approached, camera in hand and for the first time set eyes on Boisduval’s False Acraea. Truly spectacular indeed, it was my hope for the trip to obtain an image of this insect and the moment seemed close. But as I’d find out on a number of occasions over the next day or two Pseudacraea boisduvalli trimenii doesn’t give up its beauty so easily. Powerfully built, and a fondness for heights meant my prize was out of reach in a few swift wing flaps. Seeing it pass over the trees, I knew it wouldn’t be back, but equally I felt elated to see this species for the first time.

Mocker Swallowtail

Mocker Swallowtail

Another highlight of the trip quickly presented itself in the form of another new species for us. This time it was a stunning Charaxes cithaeron cithaeron or Blue-spotted Charaxes feeding on some minerals seeping from the gravel road. Light was poor for a decent photo but then the butterfly cooperated far more than the previous and leaving its spot sauntered up onto a low bush where it sat sunning itself, wings held open. Not in the best condition, this male individual had seen some combat or narrow escapes but this didn’t dull the brilliant blue of the upper wings. We saw a few more of these beautiful butterflies but none posed for a photo so this moment was a stroke of luck. A congener of this butterfly we hoped to also see is the Forest-king Charaxes, another exquisitely beautiful large blue Charaxes and although we might have seen one no positive identification was made.

Charaxes cithaeron cithaeron

Charaxes achaemenes achaemenes and Charaxes candiope

Hesperiids also proved to be extremely numerous and many familiar, as well as unfamiliar species bobbed along the roadside, stopping often to nectar on the numerous flowers. Clouded Flats and Mackens Dart were two new ones I recognised immediately while some of the swifts would take some time to figure out along with a few other less boldly marked species. Forest Elfin and Two-pip Policemen were quite familiar along with a few Mountain and Forest Sandmen nectaring on the flowers.

Emperor Swallowtail

Clouded Flat
As we drove, there was simply too much to take in and process, so eventually we pressed on to the accommodation where luggage could be stored and a more butterfly friendly speed could be taken for the remaining hours of the day. One butterfly however, kept catching our attention because of it’s beautiful light translucent blue colouration and eventually a stop was made to catch a chance of a photo of the Cambridge vagrant while it nectared on a red Salvia flower.

Cambridge Vagrant

Cambridge Vagrant

A small but well equipped wooden chalet beneath the forest next to a stream was where we would sleep for the next couple of nights and after unloading luggage we headed by foot up a very rough and winding track through the shady and cool forest. Perhaps not the best direction for butterflies considering it was late afternoon and within a few hours the sun would drop behind the western peaks and leave us completely shaded. The next day we would head by vehicle the way we had come so this was probably the only chance for a walk and although we didn’t reach the end of the forest and pop out into sunny areas, it was fascinating to walk through such a beautiful moist forest. A number of butterflies were still on the wing including quite a few Mother of Pearls and numerous Soldier Pansies, as well as various skippers, sailers and forest leopards.

Common Mother-of-pearl

[Charaxes]

The track wound back and forth through the rugged terrain and five or six times through the stream which on occasion proved difficult to cross on the wet and slippery rocks. A small green snake slid across the damp track, perhaps a Natal Green snake, and everywhere in the damp conditions fungal fruiting bodies adorned the already picturesque forest. On turning back, a Common Mother-of-Pearl spooked from a its roosting spot and re-settled close by. Upon photographing it, I noticed few metres above, a Papilio ophidicephalus sitting with its wings open trying in vain to catch the last of the direct sun. We’d already seen a few of these, the Emperor Swallowtail and South Africa’s largest butterfly but all had been nectaring and reluctant to keep still. This specimen was unfortunately too far to photograph effectively and was also missing its tails. With a wingspan of up to 16cm this butterfly is an impressive and beautiful insect and another species I’ve been longing to see for many years. On the return walk a troop of Samango monkeys crossed through the tree tops above the path and briefly showed themselves. An impressively loud bark from the dominant male announced our presence to the rest of the troop, which then melted away into the dense tree top foliage.

Southern Friar

Rainforest Dull Brown

Pied Piper

Arriving back at the chalet, night drew in fast and only a sliver of moon and stars illuminated the tinkling stream. After dark, a night walk produced some interesting moths and a couple of spent Charaxes pupae hanging from low trees, as well as a number of roosting Common Mother-of-Pearl and Soldier Pansies. Next morning an early walk before the butterflies had warmed up too much produced some good sightings. Joined by the security guard, Easy, we admired a huge range of species considering we only walked a short distance. I taught Easy a few of their names and was extremely pleased to see the first Buff-tipped Skipper of the trip, and then a few minutes later a beautiful Oleander Hawkmoth roosting on the roadside bushes. Plenty of Mocker swallowtails and a handful of Emperor swallowtails were already feeding at the flowers but were already swift of movement and almost impossible to get a good image of. For those who haven’t been fortunate enough to see such butterflies, while they nectar, the rear wings always continue to flap while the front are still. There is also steady and speedy movement from flower to flower.

Buff-tipped Skipper

Oleander Hawkmoth

Mocker Swallowtail - Male

Narrow Green-banded Swallowtail

I was pleased to also photograph a Narrow Green-banded Swallowtail, a species I’ve regularly seen on the farm but never had success at photographing thanks to their swift habits, so to finally have one in the cross hairs was satisfying. Various other species also graced the lens before I reached the chalet. A Rainforest Dull Brown was anything but dull, Brown Pansy, Bush Bronze, and many Clouded Flats were along the way, with the first female Mocker Swallowtail spotted. Female Mocker Swallowtails are mimics of a number of Danainae and can easily be confused before ones eye is set in, so probably this wasn’t the first I saw but certainly the first to be photographed. Numerous other species escaped the camera including the African Wood White, Orange Spotted Skipper and Layman.

Baboons laying Charaxes bait

Road through reserve

Waterfall -please tilt your head!

Driving down to the heart of the nature reserve proved to be another exciting trip – numerous stops were made to chase down ‘new’ or easily recognisable and impressive butterflies such as Pearl and Blue-spotted Charaxes, and another Boisduval’s False Acraea, which in the fashion of the previous, sailed away un-photographed. Through the middle of the reserve runs a main road, which for the entire length is perfect for butterflies, and to drive it seems a criminal move. Huge numbers of butterflies were flying and to make progress forward was indeed difficult. We aimed to reach the famous waterfall which is a renowned butterfly spot, and when close, I suddenly had to exit the vehicle rapidly, for a Bush Beauty flew across the road and settled on the nearside verge in a low bush. This exquisite butterfly was another species very high on my list, to see, and to photograph one would be the icing on the cake. Well behaved, it posed long enough for me to admire it and capture some images, and then true to its reputation took to the wing and rapidly vanished into the dense forest. Along with the Table Mountain Beauty, the Bush Beauty must be the most recognisable satyrine in South Africa because of its large size and bold markings . A few minutes later when we pulled up to the waterfall another appeared and decided to alight on my shoulder, perhaps there to welcome us to this hallowed spot.

Bush Beauty

The waterfall is pretty, but for the duration of our visit my attention was more absorbed by the numerous butterflies in the area because there was a lot going on. I think perhaps we could have spent the whole day at this one spot and seen a huge variety judging by what we saw in the hour we spent in this lovely spot. Large Flats sunned and patrolled their territories below the falls along the little stream, and almost immediately the first Dead-leaf Commodore of the trip put in an appearance. Not that dissimilar to a Soldier Pansy in looks, I’d been paying a close eye for this butterfly, and was pleased to finally get a look at one and have it pose for some photos.

Dead-leaf Commodore

Dead-leaf Commodore

Not long after arriving another Boisduval’s False Acraea arrived on the scene, settled on a low shrub below the falls, and then scooted off when I was nearly close enough for a photo. It seems this sequence of events was becoming common, but it didn’t matter because there were so many other beautiful butterflies around. Many Mocker swallowtails passed by continuously, along with a handful of Emperors and a good number of White Banded Swallowtails. Narrow Green-banded and Citrus swallowtails also put in an appearance but didn’t pause like the others, and I believe I glimpsed Constantine’s Swallowtail but this one was high and had no intention of stopping. Numerous Blotched leopards stayed out of camera reach along with their close allies, the common and forest leopard.

Large Flat

Gold-spotted Sylph

I took a walk along the road to see what was nectaring on the flowers and quickly saw a very beautiful butterfly, the Gold-spotted Sylph. It was fast, but perched often in the same area with its wings held partially open. It was a treat for the eyes when at rest, but while flying the true magic of this butterfly’s colouration came into play, the gold spots shining brightly and dazzling the observer. Upon first glance it firmly became the star of the trip. Other interesting sightings included a Dusky Amber, many Cambridge Vagrants, Forest Caper White and Sabine Albatross White. A little way from the waterfall I layed eyes on my first Vine-leaf Vagrant, a large and boldly marked pierid with wide black borders on the upper wings and a stunning yellow and white underside resembling a withered leaf. Other notable sighting were Green-marbled sandman, which is a very scarce species back on the farm, and then the familiar Purple Brown Hairstreak, common on the farm. False chiefs and both species of Mother-of-Pearl were numerous along with Soldier Pansies. Another new sighting for me was a Malagasy Grass Yellow. Until recently this species and the Lowveld Grass Yellow were thought to be one and the same but actually they were two species all along. Without an upper side shot it’s difficult for a positive identification but I’m fairly confident what I saw was a Eurema floricola floricola amongst many of the commoner Broad-bordered Grass yellows.

Malagasy Grass Yellow

Vine-leaf Vagrant

Sabine Albatross White

There was a huge amount of butterfly activity around the waterfall but after an hour we dragged ourselves away and continued up the road. Large numbers of nectaring and patrolling skippers tempted me to leave the vehicle, and at one spot while following one into the roadside vegetation I had a close encounter with a Black Mamba which was sunning itself where the shade ended and sun began. A little further on, a squashed Mozambique Spitting cobra reminded us even more of the dangers of chasing butterflies into thick vegetation. The road now passed through lovely thick forest and rugged slopes either side and as before butterflies were everywhere. The number of male mocker swallowtails was impressive and a stop was made at a spot where around 15 nectared together on some low flowers. The Boisduvals’s False Acraea scene was played out again before we headed higher up into the valley and stopped at an old avocado plantation.

Yellow Zulu

Pirate

Pirate

African Clover Blue
There was considerably more grass in this area and so some new species to see. African clover blues were playing near to where we parked and as we followed an overgrown track up the hillside I thought a Yellow Zulu passed at speed which is unusual for this slow flying species. Thirty seconds later my hunch was confirmed when another specimen settled on the grass directly before us and proceeded to pose with its wings open. A little further we saw stunning newly emerged Black-based Acraea and numerous Yellow-Banded Telchinias flying low around the Lantana camara bushes. Then another highlight showed up in the form of a pristine Pirate. Last time I saw one of these beauties was many many years ago so it was a particularly pleasing moment, and having just emerged it wasn’t in a great hurry to leave the scene. Around the corner we met Paul, an ancient guy living in the old farmhouse and waging a continuous war with the resident baboons who have a liking for the avocados and pecan nuts growing in the area. Judging by the numerous partly eaten avos on the track, it seemed the baboons were winning, but with hundreds of trees it also seemed there were enough for everyone. Paul, with a warm smile, very kindly offered for us to fill a bag with fruit before we left.

Pecan Nuts

Black-based Acraea

Yellow-banded Telchinia

Dusky Telchinia

The road continued to the summit of the grass topped mountains where we found grazing in the distance a herd of Zebras and some scattered cattle. Although the views were stunning, few butterflies were around and because the day was getting on, we retraced our steps and headed back to the accommodation. Not far down, where the vegetation thickened we spotted a Bush Beauty flitting around a small Vachellia tree and after some time it settled on a sap run and begun to enjoy the tree’s exudates.

Bush Beauty at sap run

White-banded swallowtail

Back at the chalet I decided on a last chance walk before the sun dipped behind the high peaks and cast the area into shade. It was already a little late to see much along the track but a few Acraeas and the shade tolerant Southern Friars were still out, with the odd skipper bobbing about in the last small patches of sun. I did also see another Charaxes cithaeron cithaeron, this time in good condition, but before I could photograph it a rare vehicle passed and scared the Charaxes from the road to a nearby treetop. I’d also previously seen a coulple of small orange butterflies flying high in the canopy and now I saw another. I followed this one for a while, and although it dipped to lower levels it never came low enough for a positive identification. I was pretty sure I knew the species but without a photo and it was hard to confirm – but then by a stroke of luck, about 10 metres up in the trees I saw two of the same species in copulation. As suspected this was the Spotted Buff, an interesting member of the subfamily Poritiinae whose larvae feed on cyanobacteria like the Yellow Zulu and Bushveld Plain buff which are also found back on the farm. Without a good photo, I planned an early morning sortie so see if I could find a specimen who was more obliging to have its image captured. But by a stroke of luck, later in the evening I found an individual roosting very close to our chalet a few feet from the forest floor along with another hard to photograph butterfly, the African Wood White.

African Wood White

Spotted Buff

The next day dawned dull and cloudy, and although there was a chance to stay on, we decided to take a slow drive home along the scenic route through the mountains. Our stay had been truly magical, filled with non-stop butterfly moments and it was of course difficult to leave such a special place after such a short visit. There was so much more to explore and so we will return again and explore more thoroughly. Back on the farm the butterfly scene seemed very quiet after seeing such a profusion at Lekgalameetse. But, with a little effort, there have been some good sightings which I’ll write about in the next diary entry.
Regards, Scott

[David M]

Some amazing butterflies in that report, Scott, particularly that Buff-tipped Skipper which is almost unreal!

[Charaxes]

Thanks David,
I would have to whole heartedly agree on the Buff-tip skipper - it was one butterfly I really wanted to see after seeing it in the book for many many years. And it certainly didn't disappoint either..it's really a remarkable looking creature.

Regards, Scott