Amauris ochlea

Amauris ochlea, the novice, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in southern and south-east Africa.

Novice
Male, Mabibi, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
Female
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Amauris
Species:
A. ochlea
Binomial name
Amauris ochlea
(Boisduval, 1847)
Synonyms
  • Euploea ochlea Boisduval, 1847
  • Amauris ochleides var. comorana Aurivillius, 1909 (not Oberthür, 1897)
  • Amauris ochlea affinis f. spatiosa Talbot, 1940
  • Amauris ochlea affinis f. valens Talbot, 1940
  • Amauris ochlea var. affinis Aurivillius, 1911
  • Amauris bumilleri Lanz, 1896

The wingspan is 55–60 mm for males and 60–65 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round (with peaks in summer and autumn).[1]

The larvae feed on Tylophora anomala, Tylophora stolzii, Gymnema, Marsdenia, Secamone, Cynanchum chirindense, Cyanchum abyssinicum, Cynanchum medium, Cynanchum nigrum, Cynanchum natalitium and Cynanchum vincetoxicum.[2]

Subspecies

  • Amauris ochlea ochlea (eastern Kenya to Zululand, Natal)
  • Amauris ochlea affinis Aurivillius, 1911 (Comoro Islands)
  • Amauris ochlea bumilleri Lanz, 1896 (northern Malawi, south-western Tanzania, Zambia)
  • Amauris ochlea darius Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 (northern Kenya (Meru, Mount Kulai) to southern Somalia and southern Ethiopia)
  • Amauris ochlea moya Turlin, 1994 (Comoro Islands)
  • Amauris ochlea ochleides Staudinger, 1896 (Eritrea, northern Ethiopia)

Specimens from the coastal forest at Mabibi, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa.

References

  1. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
  2. "Amauris Hübner, 1816" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
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