Parque Nacional da Gorongosa Moçambique

English | Português
Home | News & Events | Contact Us
Restoration Project
Tourism
Field Guide
My Gorongosa
 
Mammals
Birds
Reptiles & Amphibians
Insects
Butterflies
  • Brush-footed Butterflies
  • Blues & Coppers
  • Whites & Sulfurs
  • Swallowtails & Swordtails
  • Skippers
Spiders & Scorpions
Fish
Trees
Wildflowers

Butterflies

null 

Here are some of the most common and interesting butterflies in Gorongosa National Park. All have been sighted in the park since 2004. Many of the most recent sightings were by Bart Wursten (BW), Alan Gardiner (AG) or John Dafue (JD). If you visit the park and see a butterfly not on this list, please let us know!

We’re always looking for more photos of Gorongosa butterflies, so please send your best shots. Send all email and photos to contact@gorongosa.net.

Butterflies by Category

Brush-footed Butterflies

  • Gold-banded Forester
    Euphaedra neophron
  • Chic Acraea
    Acraea cuva
  • African Monarch
    Danaus chrysippus aegyptius
  • Light-webbed Ringlet
    Physcaeneura pione
  • Natal Acraea
    Acraea natalica natalica
  • Window Acraea
    Acraea oncaea
  • Pearl Charaxes
    Charaxes varanes varanes
  • Guinea-Fowl
    Hamanumida daedalus
  • Blue Pansy
    Precis oenone oenone

Blues & Coppers

  • Sooty Blue
    Zizeeria knysna
  • Natal Bar
    Spindasis natalensis
  • Dotted Blue
    Lycaena sybaris
  • Azure Hairstreak
    Hypolycaena caeculus
  • Brown Playboy
    Deudorix antalus

Whites & Sulfurs

  • Bushveld Purple Tip
    Colotis ione
  • Zebra White
    Pinacopteryx eriphia eriphia
  • Cambridge Vagrant
    Nepheronia thalassina sinalata
  • Smokey Orange Tip
    Colotis evippe omphale
  • False Dotted Border
    Belenois thysa thysa

Swallowtails & Swordtails

  • Green-banded Swallowtail
    Papilio nireus lyaeus
  • Emperor Swallowtail
    Papilio ophidicephalus chirinda
  • Angola White Lady Swallowtail
    Graphium arisbe angolanus angolanus
  • Small Striped Swallowtail
    Graphium arisbe policenes laurentia
  • Mocker Swallowtail
    Papilio dardanus cenea

Skippers

  • Clouded Skipper (Forester)
    Tagiades flesus
  • Paradise Skipper
    Abantis paradisea
  • Gold-spotted Skipper
    Metisella metis paris
  • Herilus Orange
    Teniorhinus herilus
  • Confusing Sandman
    Spialia confusa confusa

Mocker Swallowtail Can Mimic Just About Anything

nullFemale Mocker Swallowtail butterflies mimic their hosts with an impressive color display.  Learn more about their amazing camouflage. More>


Large Butterflies Abound

nullThe Emperor Swallowtail looms large in Gorongosa National Park.  Learn more about Sub-Saharan Africa’s largest butterfly species. More>

Did You Know?

Female mocker swallowtails can mimic their hosts with up to 13 different color morphs. Male mocker swallowtails display the same black and yellow warning color pattern regardless of where they are.

binoculars