Butterflies at Walter Sisulu NBG

Butterflies and moths are a delightful natural aspect enjoyed by visitors to the Garden. A diverse array of larval food plants (food for the caterpillars) combined with the availability of flowers for nectar (food for adult butterflies) make this a good place for spotting butterflies. Moths, butterflies and their caterpillars are an essential part of the ecosystem of the Garden and the nature reserve.
Many birds, reptiles, mammals and other insects will feed on both caterpillars and adult butterflies and moths. Some caterpillars however, feed on poisonous plants thereby making themselves toxic to predators! A well-known example of this is the African Monarch butterfly ( Danaus chrysippus), which eats the poisonous milkweed plants ( Gomphocarpus spp.). Some non-poisonous butterfly species have taken advantage of this phenomenon and have markings which mimic those of the Monarch, thereby fooling would-be predators into thinking that they are toxic!
One of the Garden's most familiar butterflies is the Garden Acraea (Acraea horta) whose larvae feed on the Wild Peach (Kigelaria africana). Interestingly, this small, usually brick red and black butterfly and their caterpillars also absorb substances from their host plants which make them distasteful to most animals. The exceptions are the various cuckoo species which visit the Garden in summer, they apparently relish the Garden Acraea! The young caterpillars often fall prey to parasitic wasps, which help to keep their numbers in check.

African Clouded Yellow Lusernskoenlapper Colias electo

African Common White Afrikaanse gewone witjie Belenois creona

African Grass Blue Duwweltjie-bloutjie Zizeeria knysna

African Leopard Populierluiperd Phalanta phalantha

African Migrant Afrikaanse swerwer Catopsilia florella

African Monarch, Plain tiger Melkbosskoenlapper Danaus chrysippus

Aranda Copper Aranda-kopervlerkie Aloeides aranda

Black Heart Swart-hartbloutjie Uranothauma nubifer

Black Striped Hairtail Swartstreep-kortstertjie Anthene amarah

Black-bordered Babul Blue Doringboom-bloutjie Azanus moriqua

Blue Pansy Blou-gesiggie Junonia oenone

Broad-bordered Grass Yellow Grasveldgeletjie Eurema brigitta

Brown Payboy Bruin-spelertjie Deudorix antalus

Brown-veined White Grasveldwitjie Belenois aurota

Citrus Swallowtail Lemoenskoenlapper Papilio demodocus

Common Dotted Border Gewone voëlent-witjie Mylothris agathina

Common Fig Tree Blue Vyeboombloutjie Myrina silenus

Common Geranium Bronze Malvabloutjie Cacyreus marshalli

Common Hairtail Donker-kortstertjie Anthene definita

Common Hottentot Geel-hotnot Gegenes niso

Common Meadow White Bontrokkie Pontia helice

Common Zebra Blue Gewone-ertjiebloutjie Leptotes pirithous

Cupreous Blue Koperbloutjie Eicochrysops messapus

Dark Hottentot Swart-hotnot Gegenes pumilio

Dismal Sylph Donker-walsertjie Tsitana tsita

Dotted Blue Spikkelbloutjie Tarucus sybaris

Durban 's Woolly Legs Durban-wolpootjie Lachnocnema durbani

Dusky Copper Donker-kopervlerkie Aloeides taikosama

Eastern Scarlet Ralie-rooivlerkie Axiocerses tjoane

Ella's Bar Ella-streepvlerkie Cigaritis ella

Eyed Pansy Padwagterjie Junonia orithya

Forest White Boswitjie Belenois zochalia

Foxy Charaxes Koppie-dubbelstert Charaxes jas i us

Fulvous Ranger Mohozutza-wagtertjie Kedestes mohozutza

Garden Acraea Tuinrooitjie Acraea horta

Garden Commodore Rotsblaarvlerk Precis archesia

Green-banded Swallowtail Groenlint-swaelstert Papilio nireus

Guinea-fowl Butterfly Tarentaaltjie Hamanumida daedalus

Henning's Black-eye Henning-se-swartogie Leptomyrina henningi

Henning's Copper Henning-se-kopervlerkie Aloeides henningi

Lemon Traveller Suurlemoensmous Colotis subfasciatus

Marsh Acraea Moeras-rooitjie Hyalites rahira

Mimic Blouglans/Na-aper Hypolimnas misippus

Mozambique Bar Mosambiek-streepvlerkie Cigaritis mozambica

Natal Acraea Natal-rooitjie Acraea natalica

Natal Bar Natalse-streepvlerkie Cigaritis natalensis

Painted Lady Sondagsrokkie Vanessa cardui

Patrician Blue Patricia-bloutjie Lepidochrysops patricia

Pea Blue . Lusern-bloutjie Lampides boeticus

Peppered Hopper Ayres-se-springertjie Platylesches ayresii

Pirate Seerower Catacroptera cloanthe

Purplebrown Hairstreak Persbruin-stertbloutjie Hypolycaena philippus

Rayed Blue Witstreep-bloutjie Actizera lucida

Russet Protea Sannie-se-suikerbossie Capys disjunctus

Sabie Smoky Blue Sabie-dowwebloutjie Euchrysops dolorosa

Scarce Ranger Seldsame-wagtertjie Kedestes nerva

Small Marbled Elf Kleinmarmer-kluisenaar Eretis umbra

Smoky Orange Tip Donkeroranjepuntjie Colotis euippe

Common Sandman Gewone-sandmannetjie Spialia diomus

Spotted Joker Leliegrasvegter Byblia ilithyia

Spotted Sailor Spikkel-swewer Neptis saclava

Spotted-eye Brown Koloog-bruintjie Paternympha narycia

Star Sandman Sterretjie-sandmannetjie Spialia asterodia

Striped Policeman Witbroek-konstabel Coeliades forestan

Tiny Grass Blue Gaika-bloutjie Zizula hylax

Topaz Babul Blue Hemels-bloutjie Azanus jesous

Trimen's Sapphire Trimen-se-saffier Iolaus trimeni

Twin Dotted Border Oranjevlerk voëlent-witjie Mylothris rueppellii

Twin-spot Blue Dubbelkol-bloutjie Lepidochrysops plebeia

Velvet-spotted Babul Blue Fluweelkol-bloutjie Azanus ubaldus

Wichgraf's Hillside Brown Wichgraf-se-rantbruintjie Stygionympha wichgrafi

Yellow Pansy Geel-gesiggie Junonia hierta

Zebra White Kwagga Pinacopteryx eriphia

Zulu Blue Zoeloe-bloutjie Lepidochrysops ignota