Charaxes ameliae, the blue-spotted charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi.
Description
Ch. ameliae Doumet forewing above black with the following blue markings: a broad longitudinal streak in the cell, an angular spot at the apex of the cell, a spot behind the middle of the costal margin, 8 rather large submarginal spots and small marginal spots. On the hindwing an anteriorly narrowed median band, rounded submarginal spots and fine marginal streaks are blue. On the under surface the black transverse streaks in cellules 2, 4-7 are placed in an almost straight line and are distally accompanied by a whitish band. The female is much larger and has the ground-colour above black-brown and all the markings white or yellowish white. The cell of the forewing is unmarked; the median band of the hindwing reaches the inner margin, is basally widened and is continuous on the forewing as far as vein 2; the proximal spots of cellules 2–7, which in the male are almost all wanting, are here large and distinct, but the distal ones scarcely larger than on the underside of the hindwing the light median band is broader and more distinct. The tail at vein 2 is short in both sexes, much shorter than the one at vein 4. This magnificent species occurs every where in the West African forest-region and is distributed to Aruwimi and to Nyassaland.Aurivillius, [P.O.]C. 1908-1924. In: Seitz, A. Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde Band 13: Abt. 2, Die exotischen Großschmetterlinge, Die afrikanischen Tagfalter, 1925, 613 Seiten, 80 Tafeln (The Macrolepidoptera of the World 13).Alfred Kernen Verlag, Stuttgart. In 1900, a full description was given by Walter Rothschild and Karl Jordan in Novitates Zoologicae. See volume 7:287-524 pages 391-394 (for terms see volume 5:545-601).
Biology The habitat consists of Afrotropical forests and Brachystegia woodland (Miombo).
The larvae feed on Brachystegia spiciformis, Julbernardia globiflora, Albizia adianthifolia and Baikiaea insignis.
Taxonomy Charaxes tiridates group
The supposed clade members are:
Charaxes tiridates Charaxes numenes similar to next Charaxes bipunctatus similar to last Charaxes violetta Charaxes fuscus Charaxes mixtus Charaxes bubastis Charaxes albimaculatus Charaxes barnsi Charaxes bohemani Charaxes schoutedeni Charaxes monteiri Charaxes smaragdalis Charaxes xiphares Charaxes cithaeron Charaxes nandina Charaxes imperialis Charaxes ameliae Charaxes pythodoris ? Charaxes overlaeti For a full list see Eric Vingerhoedt, 2013.
Subspecies C. a. ameliae (Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo) C. a. amelina Joicey & Talbot, 1925 Joicey, J.J., & Talbot, G. 1925. Notes on some Lepidoptera, with descriptions of new forms.Annals and Magazine of Natural History (9) 16: 633-653.(Tanzania: Kigoma, Malawi, northern Zambia, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Shaba) C. a. doumeti Henning, 1989 Hening, S.F. 1988 . The Charaxinae butterflies of Africa. Aloe Books, Johannesburg, 1-457. (Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, western Nigeria) C. a. victoriae van Someren, 1972 Van Someren, V.G.L. 1972 Revisional notes on African Charaxes (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Part VIII. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) (Entomology) 215-264. Uganda, western Kenya, north-western Tanzania)
References
Seitz, A. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 31 Victor Gurney Logan Van Someren, 1972 Revisional notes on African Charaxes (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Part VIII. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) (Entomology)215-264.
External links Images of C. ameliae ameliae Royal Museum for Central Africa (Albertine Rift Project) Charaxes ameliae images at Charaxes page Consortium for the Barcode of Life subspecies and forms African Butterfly Database Range map via search