Gold-banded Forester (Euphaedra neophron)

Family Nymphalidae Limenitinae

Found in a small band of forest along the northern coast of KwaZulu Natal.

Medium sized – about 5-6mm wingspan.

Butterfly close-up - Dancing Acraea (Telchinia serena) Nymphalidae

They roost on long grass stems.
They have a slow, fluttering flight.

They are common and found in most gardens and are seen the year round.

Yellow-banded Acraea (Hyalites cabira)

Family Nymphalidae Heliconiinae

These are medium size and the colours of the underwing are quite distinguishable.

 Are only found in the eastern regions of SA.

White-barred Acraea - Female (Hyalites encedon)

Family Nymphalidae Heliconiinae

As with many butterflies, the females of these are more colourful than the males.

 They prefer wooded savanna and open coastal forest from East London along the eastern coast and from Gauteng northwards.

Info: Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa (Steve Woodhall)

White-barred Acraea - Male (Hyalites encedon)

Please note name change from Hyalites encedon to Telchinia Encedon

  Family Nymphalidae Heliconiinae

 They prefer wooded savanna and open coastal forest from East London along the eastern coast and from Gauteng northwards.

Info: Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa (Steve Woodhall)

Garden Acraea - Male (Acraea horta)

Family Nymphalidae Heliconiinae

 A medium size butterfly found in the eastern half of SA.

Dusky Acraea (Hyalites esebria)

Family Nymphalidae Heliconiinae

 They have a wingspan of 45-55mm and are only found in the eastern regions and along the coast up to PE.

Little Acraea (Acraea axina)

Family Nymphalidae

 These butterflies are found in the northen regions, from Gauteng upwards.

 They are smallish butterflies with the male slightly brighter in colour to the female.

 Mainly they are found on flatlands with the males often perching on a prominant tree.

 Although their breeding season peaks in summer, young are found throughout the year.

Pirate Butterfly (Catacroptera cloanthe) Nymphalidae

Update: I have now taken a picture of the underside of the wings an am adding it.....

Pirates belong to the Nymphalidae family. They are of medium size and the underwing is dull brown in color.
They are one of the earliest butterflies to be found in spring and the males are strongly territorial.

The blue eye-spots are very conspicuous and they can be found throughout the west cost and northern areas of South Africa.

Caterpillar (Acraea sp) Nymphalidae

I have now been blogging for two years and this was the first post I ever did....
For many years I have done photography as a hobby, my subject being mainly wildlife and, just recently, macro. We have a large variety of subjects and since doing macro photgraphy, I have discovered a wealth of otherwise unnoticed, but very interesting, critters.

As I am in the financial sector, photography is a wonderful escape from the stressful, hectic daily routine. Without being able to go out into the fields over weekends, I would go crazy.

Hopefully, over time, I will be able to give viewers of my blog the chance to see something different and a glance at our beautiful country. It is a tourist mecca as we have much to offer, and cater for all tastes, from beautiful beaches and high mountain ranges to semi-desert and tropical areas. Our wildlife parks are of the best in the world with millions coming here just to enjoy them.

Enjoy my blog with me and if you are interested in anything in particular about my country, feel free to ask. Bewarned though, I do not get involved in politics or religion, so questions along these lines will go unanswered. I am a nature lover not a politician. :)

Rice Paper butterfly

This was taken at the butterfly house nearby.
The Rice Paper butterfly, also called the Paper Kite butterfly, wood nymph, or tree nymph (Idea leuconoe) is a distinctive black and white butterfly.

The wingspan is 95 to 110 cm across. The chrysalis is yellow with black markings. It is from Southeast Asia. Classification: superfamily Papilionigiae, family Nymphalidae, subfamily Danainae, Genus Idea, Species I. Leuconoe.

The one below had just emerged from its pupae and was still unfolding its wings.

Butterfly rescue - Garden Acraea (Acraea horta) Nymphalidae

Why does it seems as if I am always rescuing things.I found this beautiful little butterfly drowning in the pool and fished him out. You can see his wet wing still sticking to my finger.
I put him on the lawn to dry out and soon the sun had warmed his wings enough for him to lift them up but he was exhausted and lay there for a long time.
Soon he was stirring around and I picked him up and put him on the branch of a tree, he sat there for a while, then flew off.
The end third of their wings are transparent.