Butterflies
I am finding photographing and identifying butterflies to be rather challenging. But is is also a fascinating hobby and adds another element to my enjoyment of nature. My butterfly list at the end of February stands at 93.
African Plain Tiger (Danaus chrysippus)
Common Evening Brown (Melanitis leda)
Black-haired Bush Brown (Bicyclus safitza safitza)
Squinting Bush Brown (Bicyclus anynana anynana)
Table Mountain Beauty (Aeropetes tulbaghia)
Rainforest Dull Brown (Cassionympha cassius)
Orange lined ringlet (Coenyropsis natalii natalii)
Eastern Hillside Brown (Stygionympha scotina)
Garden Acraea (Acraea horta)
Wandering Donkey Acraea (Acraea neobule neobule)
Black-based acraea (Acraea natalica)
Window Acraea (Acraea oncaea)
Male
Acara Acraea (Acraea acara acara)
Marsh Telchinia (Telchinia rahira rahira)
Dancing Telchinia (Telchinia serena)
African Leopard (Phalanta phalantha aethiopica)
Foxy Charaxes (Charaxes saturnus saturnus)
Bushveld Charaxes (Charaxes achaemenes achaemenes)
Demon Charaxes (Charaxes phaeus)
Spotted Sailer (Neptis saclava marpessa)
Guineafowl (Hamanumida daedalus)
Spotted Joker (Byblia ilithya)
Common Diadem (Hypolimnas misippus)
Common Mother-of-Pearl (Protogoniomorpha parhassus)
Pirate (Catacroptera cloanthe cloanthe)
Southern Gaudy Commodore (Precis octavia octavia)
Darker Commodore (Precis antilope)
Garden Inspector (Precis archesia archesia)
Female
Male
Soldier Pansy (Junonia terea elgiva)
Brown Pansy (Junonia natalica natalica)
Yellow Pansy (Junonia hierta cebrene)
Dark Blue Pansy (Junonia oenone oenone)
African Blue Pansy (Junonia crithya madagascariensis)
Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui)
Purple-brown Hairstreak (Hypolycaena philippus philippus)
Lilac-based Black-eye (leptomyrina gorgias gorgias)
Eastern Scarlet (Axiocerces tjoane tjoane)
Female
Bush Scarlet (Axiocerces amanga amanga)
Male
Veined Russet (Aloeides pierus)
Steel-blue Cilate Blue (Anthene definita definita)
Black-striped Cilate Blue (Anthene amarah amarah)
Black Heart (Uranothauma nubifer nubifer)
Mocker Bronze (Cacyreus virilis)
Common Geranium Bronze (Cacgreus marshalli)
Blue sp (Leptotes sp)
There are 3 Leptotes species that cannot be distinguished without studying them under a microscope. I have found a couple of these that will remain un-identified.
Pea Blue (Lampides boeticus)
Dotted Pierrot (Tarucus sybaris)
Patrician Giant Cupid (Lepidochrysops patricia)
Cupreous Ash Blue (Eichochrysops messapus)
Rayed Blue (Actizera lucida)
African Grass Blue (Zizeeria knysna)
Topaz Babul Blue (Azanus jesous)
Natal Babul Blue (Azanus natalensis)
Grass Jewel Blue (Chilades trachylus)
Tiny Grass Blue (Zizula hylax)
Zebra White (Pinacopteryx eriphia eriphia)
Topaz Arab (Colotis amata calais)
Bushveld Purple Tip (Colotis ione)
Scarlet Tip (Colotis annae annae)
Sulphur Orange Tip (Colotis auxo auxo)
Red Tip (Colotis antevippe gavisa)
African Orange Tip (Colotis evinina evinina)
Southern Round-winged Orange Tip (Colotis euippe omphale)
Bushveld Orange Tip (Colotis pallene)
Small Orange Tip (Colotis evagore antigone)
Speckled Sulphur Tip (Teracolus agoye agoye)
Banded Gold Tip (Teracolus eris eris)
Male
Female
Lemon Traveller (Teracolus subfasciatus)
Pioneer Caper White (Belenois aurota)
African Caper White (Belenois creona severina)
African Veined White (Belenois gidica abyssinica)
African Ant-heap White (Dixera charina charina)
Southern Meadow White (Pontia helice helice)
Twin Dotted Border (Mylothris rueppelli naemus)
Eastern Dotted Border (Mylothris agathina agathina)
African Migrant (Catopsilia florella)
Lowveld Grass Yellow (Eurema hecabe solifera)
Broad-bordered Grass Yellow (Euramia brigitta brigitta)
Citrus Swallowtail (Papilio demodocus demodocus)
Mocker Swallowtail (Papilio dardanus cenea)
Narrow Green-banded Swallowtail (Papilio nireus lyaeus)
Large Striped Swordtail (Graphium antheus)
Striped Policeman (Coeliades forestan forestan)
Two-pip Policeman (Coeliades pisistratus)
Dark Elfin (Sarangesa seineri)
Sandman (Spialia sp)
Green-marbled Skipper (Gomalia elma elma)
Peppered Hopper (Platylesches ayresii)
White-branded swift (Pelopidas thrax)
Dark Dodger (Gegenes pumlilio gambica)
Dodger (Afrogenenus sp)
Moths
I am yet to find a pattern for identification when it comes to identifying moths. It is outrageous how moths in a family and sub-family can differ!