Protogoniomorpha anacardii

Protogoniomorpha anacardii, the clouded mother-of-pearl, is a species of Nymphalidae butterfly found in tropical Africa,[1] and in Arabia (P. a. nebulosa: Saudi Arabia and Yemen)[2]

Clouded mother-of-pearl
P. a. anacardii, Ghana
Underside
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Protogoniomorpha
Species:
P. anacardii
Binomial name
Protogoniomorpha anacardii
Approximate range
  P. a. anacardii (Linnaeus, 1758)
  P. a. nebulosa (Trimen, 1881)
  P. a. ansorgei (Rothschild, 1904)
  P. (a.) duprei (Vinson, 1863)
Synonyms
  • Papilio anacardii Linnaeus, 1758
  • Salamis anacardii
  • Salamis anacardii ansorgei Rothschild, 1904
  • Salamis definata Butler, 1879
  • Salamis duprei var. billerei Oberthür, 1925
  • Salamis nebulosa Trimen, 1881
  • Salamis anacardii var. lurida Niepelt, 1920
  • Salamis anacardii f. formosa Stoneham, 1965
  • Protogoniomorpha anacardii nebulosa f. trimeni van Son, 1979

The wingspan of this species is 55–68 mm for males and 65–75 mm for females.[3]

Its flight period is year-round, peaking in summer and autumn.[3]

P. anacardii caterpillars eat Asystasia, Brillantaisia, Isoglossa, Justicia, Mimulopsis, and Paulowilhelmia flowers.[1][3] The dorsal side of this species' wings are stark white with dark spots by the outer margin and two yellow eye spots near the bottom. The ventral side of this species' wings resemble a dead leaf.

Subspecies

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  • P. a. anacardii — Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, western Nigeria, Central African Republic to the Rift Valley
  • P. a. ansorgei (Rothschild, 1904) — Angola, southern Democratic Republic of the Congo
  • P. a. nebulosa Trimen, 1881 — Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Saudi Arabia,[4] South Africa, Eswatini, Yemen
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References

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  1. ^ a b c Salamis at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. ^ Alfakih, Ateah; Faify, Eisa Ali Al (2024-02-01), The clouded mother-of-pearl Protogoniomorpha anacardii Linnaeus, 1758 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) – an updated record of butterfly for Saudi Arabia, doi:10.1101/2023.12.22.572884, retrieved 2024-02-03
  3. ^ a b c Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. p. 130. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
  4. ^ Alfakih, Ateah; Faify, Eisa Ali Al (2023-12-23), The clouded mother-of-pearl Protogoniomorpha anacardii Linnaeus, 1758 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) – a new record of butterfly for Saudi Arabia, doi:10.1101/2023.12.22.572884, retrieved 2023-12-24