Myrina silenus

Sorry I had misnamed this butterfly!

The Common Fig-tree Blue - ssp ficedula: the "fig eater"
Despite a fair number of Ficus spp (F. sur, F natalensis) in and around our garden, this butterfly was only infrequently seen, and all my records are of females on an exotic F. pumila on our garden wall. This female has lost her right hind-wing tail and lobe. Eggs are posited singly on the underside of the leaves.

I have also included another female, also ovipositing. The underside is surprisingly well camouflaged.

 

Junonia natalica

The Brown Pansy.
The eye-spots again are a feature of the Pansies.
It has both a summer and winter brood and form.The WSF has much more prominent eye-spots (third from top) than the DSF which has a silvery underside (last but one.)
It was a common visitor or resident in our garden, and could be quite confiding.
Incidentally the flowers in the last picture are that of Crassula multicava on of the food plants of Leptomyrena gorgias. 

See also Junonia the genus.
   

Junonia oenone

Another of our Pansies, the Blue Pansy.
Seen here quite often, attractively coloured. The female has larger ocelli than the male.
See also Junonia, the genus.
 

Cymothoe alcimeda

The Battling Glider:
I have seen this butterfly on rare occasions in the NBG-KZN next to us, but always found it shy and flying high.
At top a male from our garden, then soon after, in the Gardens I found a female (second and third from top) and a male (next two) close to each other, sunning themselves in the early morning. These latter two are rather elderly individuals.
Their food-plant, the tree Kiggelaria africana is found in the Gardens.
 

Heraclia (superba)

I have redone this photograph.
This may or may not be H. superba, there are about 50 spp. in the genus, many looking very similar.
See African Moths.

 
I decided a moth as wonderful as this deserves a place on a butterfly site. Such aposematic and warning colouration. Merle found this magnificent specimen in the house. I took it outside for its portrait. It is, I think the Superb False Tiger Moth. No wonder Butler (1875) gave it the specific name superba.
 

Colias elelecto

Tee African clouded yellow, although wide spread, I have not found this butterfly often: one in our garden, on in the NBG-KZN and one in the Kamberg, (its habitat preference is mountains.)
It is somewhat related to the Eurema and Catopsilia, Family Coliadinae.
   

Deudorix antalus - (2) -

More of the Brown Playboy:
The top three pictures of the same female on a bougainvillea flower. She has an attractive brown outer and blue inner on the upper side.
Hewtson's description included it being hirsute. They also seem to have an orange cap above the eyes (frons?), and on the outside of the distal antennae.
Below, the male has all brown upper side with a delicate violet sheen.

 
See also Deudorix antalus -(1) -.