Charaxes monteiri

Charaxes monteiri
	Male and female
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Charaxes
Species:	C. monteiri
Binomial name
	Charaxes monteiri; Staudinger, 1885

Charaxes monteiri is a rare tropical butterfly of the family Nymphalidae, belonging to the Charaxinae subfamily or leafwing butterflies.^[3] It was described by Otto Staudinger in 1885.

Description

Charaxes monteiri presents an important sexual dimorphism, as do most species of the genus Charaxes. The wingspan is about 90 millimetres (3.5 in) in the males and about 100 millimetres (3.9 in) in the females. The male has a black-brown and blue wing, while the female has a brown wing with a wide white stripes on each side and a smaller one on top. Description in Seitz- Ch. monteiri Stgr. The male is very similar above to that of smaragdalis, only differing in having the distal blue spots in cellules 2—7 of the forewing much larger and sagittate and the transverse band on the hindwing anteriorly narrower and posteriorly completely united with the marginal line. Forewing beneath light grey-blue at the base and before the distal margin. In the female the forewing is black-brown above, with broad white transverse band and two white subapical spots; the hindwing above umber-brown, towards the distal margin somewhat lighter and with 8 large, angled, blue-centred, black submarginal spots and a black marginal line, thickened between the veins. Only occurring on the island of St. Thome.^[4]

Distribution and habitat

This species is endemic to the island of São Tomé in the archipelago of São Tomé and Principe (Gulf of Guinea).^[5] It can be found in the mountain peaks of volcanic origin.

Biology

Adults mainly feed on rotting fruits.

Taxonomy

It is considered part of the Charaxes tiridates group.^[6]

References

^ Staudinger, O. 1885 in Staudinger, O. and Schatz, E. 1884–1888. Exotische Schmetterlinge 1: vi + 1–333. Bayern
^ Williams, Mark C. (2008). "Butterflies and Skippers of the Afrotropical Region (Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea): File H – Charaxinae (Nymphalidae)". Archived from the original on 9 November 2013. Retrieved 2019-01-21.
^ Biolib
^ Aurivillius, [P.O.]C. 1908–1924. In: Seitz, A. Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde Band 13: Abt. 2, Die exotischen Großschmetterlinge, Die afrikanischen Tagfalter, 1925, 613 Seiten, 80 Tafeln (The Macrolepidoptera of the World 13). Alfred Kernen Verlag, Stuttgart. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ "Charaxes monteiri Staudinger, 1885" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
^ Vingerhoedt, Eric (2013). "African Charaxes/Charaxes Africains". Archived from the original on 2013-06-27.