Neptis saclava

Spotted sailer
N. s. saclava of Madagascar (above) and N. saclava marpessa (below)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Neptis
Species:	N. saclava
Binomial name
Neptis saclava Boisduval, 1833
Synonyms
Neptis marpessa Hopffer, 1855 Neptis nemetes pasteuri Snellen, 1882 Neptis saclava marpessa ab. sheppardi Stevenson, 1940

Neptis saclava, the spotted sailer, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is native to Madagascar and to large areas of sub-Saharan Africa.

Its wingspan is 40–45 mm in males and 45–48 mm in females. Adults are on the wing year round with a peak from December to May.[1]

The larvae feed on Acalypha glabrata, Combretum bracteosum, Ricinus communis, Australina, and Pilea.[1][2]

Subspecies

Recognised subspecies:[2]

• N. s. saclava – Madagascar
• N. s. marpessa Hopffer, 1855 – small spotted sailer, native to southern Nigeria, Cameroon to Ethiopia to Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, South Africa: Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape

References

1. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
2. "Neptis Fabricius, 1807" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms