Despite an abundance of nettles in our garden (and Laportia in the KZN_NBG), I have only four records of the Variable Diadem, and all of them in our garden.
The top two photograhs are of an individual newly emerged and blown out of a tree one evening together with two others, still unfurling. As the common name implies there are two forms. The top make rather a mouthful: Hypolimnas anthedon wahlbergi f. wahlbergi. It is a Batesian mimic of Amauris niavius.
The bottom two individuals are form mima, a mimic of Amauris albimaculata.
Both these forms have a blue and/ or pink sheen which is characteristic, as it is with H. misisippus, both male and female.
1 comment:
Just to say your blog is so interesting and helpful (even an index!), and this post helped me identify (I think!) a Variable Diadem in our garden (which is also in Pmb!)
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