Butterflies and skippers of the afrotropical region

Guilbot & Pierre, 1978.

The eggs are laid in 2 to 3 layers, touching one another. Mean clutch size is 106 (n=4).

“Egg. The eggs are laid in clusters of from 50 to 500 each. They average 0.5 mm in diameter by 0.75 mm high, and have 18-19 longitudinal ribs braced by some 14 cross-ribs. The top of the egg is flat, and the bracing breaks up into a reticulate pattern over the top. Pale whitish yellow at first, they only darken slightly with time. They hatch in about 14 days. Larva. 1^st instar: The young larvae eat their way out near the top, and, after a rest, eat the discarded shells. Any eggs left in hatching are liable to be eaten. On hatching the young larvae are 1.25 mm long. They rest a while, then gather together and commence to feed on the surface of the leaf. The black setae are withour barbs and have a slight blob on the end; this is transparent and gives the impression of the tip being split. The larvae spin a mat over the leaf, to which their excerta cling, making a protective, though filthy, cache. The larvae grow to 2.75-3 mm in 6 days. Moulting takes place where they are feeding. In the 2^nd instar the protuberances take quite an appreciable time to expand and seem to be forced out by the larvae, then harden. The body is covered with a fine fur. The instar lasts 6 to 7 days, and the larvae grow to 4-5.5 mm. There is very little change in the 3^rd instar which lasts 6 to 7 days, the larvae growing to 6-7.5 mm. 4^th instar: Slight yellow colouring appears on some of the white markings. The instar lasts 6-7 days, and the larvae grow to 11.5-12.5 mm. 5^th instar: The yellow encroachment continues; the instar lasts 6 to 7 days, the larvae growing to 16-20 mm. In this instar the larvae begin to break away from each other. 6^th (final) instar: The larvae are separated, which renders them less notieable. The instar lasts 7 to 8 days, the size of the larvae reaching 33 mm. Pupa. The pupa is 19 mm long and is suspended by cremastral hooks to trees, shrubs, etc. The butterfly emerges after about 11 days.”

The eggs are laid in a single layer, touching.

“Larva. Dull green. A whitish stripe along each side of the back, interrupted on each segmental incision by a transverse line darker than the ground-colour. Spines of the dorsal and upper lateral rows black; of the lower lateral row on each side yellow. The two dorsal black spines on segment next head longer and more distinctly branched than the rest, and projecting forward beyond the head, which is ochreous. (Described from a drawing by Mr. H.C. Harford, giving a dorsal view.)” “Pupa. Pale-yellowish. Outline of wings and nervules very finely black; some thin and ill-defined dorso-thoracic black marks; on each side of abdomen a subdorsal and a lateral row of yellow spots in black rings, the latter being thinner in the lateral than in the subdorsal row. Attached to a slender stalk. (Described from a figure by Mr. H.C. Harford, giving a lateral view.)”

“The eggs are laid in groups on the underside of leaves of three species of Triumfetta. The larvae hatch almost simultaneously and keep together until ready to pupate. They eat away the fleshy substance of the leaf so that only a skeleton is left; this is loosely woven together with silk and in this they retire when not feeding. As they grow they devour several leaves in proximity and these are meshed together to meet requirements. When newly emerged, the larvae are olive green, later they turn yellowish green; the usual form has all the spines in the first two segments black, other segments have the following: two upper pairs, black, two lower yellowish; each spine situated on an ochreous base; each base connected by an ochreous line. The spiracular line is more conspicuous than the others. A second variety has a dorsolateral black line. The pupa is very variable, being either black, with a bronze sheen, the only marks visible being the abdominal rings; or golden with a distinct sheen; or almost white with little or no ornamentation; while a fourth is white or cream with bold black lines, black abdominal rings enclosing orange spots.”

“Egg. Eggs are laid in clusters; they are 0.5 mm in diameter and 0.9 mm high, with 15-17 longitudinal ribs cross-braced by some 23 horizontal indentations. They are pale watery yellow, only darkening slightly. They hatch after some 12 days. Larva. Young larvae eat their way out near the top and after a rest, devour the discarded shell. After a further rest they gather together and commence feeding on the surface of a leaf, spinning a ragged web in which excreta become entangled, forming a shelter. There are two groups, one taking six instars, the other seven. The development proceeds as follows: Six instar group: 1^st instar 1.25mm, growing to 2.5 mm in 8 days; 2^nd instar growing to 4 mm in 8 days; 3^rd instar growing to 6 mm in 7 days; 4^th instar growing to 10-11 mm in 8 days; 5^th instar growing to 16-18 mm in 11 days; 6^th instar growing to 31-32 mm in 12 days. Seven instar group: 1^st instar 1.25mm, growing to 2.5 mm in 7 days; 2^nd instar growing to 4 mm in 7 days; 3^rd instar growing to 5.5 mm in 7 days; 4^th instar growing to 8 mm in 8 days; 5^th instar growing to 13-15 mm in 8 days; 6^th instar growing to 21-22 mm in 8 days; 7^th instar growing to 31-32 mm in 17-19 days. The sizes vary within each group, due to sex differences, the females being larger than males, hence it is difficult to separate them till the 4^th instar. In the fifth instar some larvae have the spined protuberances watery yellow except for those on the extreme segments, and in the penultimate of the 7-instar group, segments 4-6 may have yellow-spined protuberances, in which case those on segments 3 and 7 are half black and the lower portion yellow, while the base matches the body colour. The head in the penultimate instar of each group is mostly black, but some have extensive salmon markings. In the final instar the body colour varies in intensity from olive to greenish yellow, and the black patch on the head may be very much extended, even to the extent of obliterarting all colour. The larvae, when disturbed, swing their heads sharply from side to side, or bend the head and final segment over the body. Pupa. The pupae are suspended by cremastral hooks only; those of males are 14 mm in length, those of females 16 mm. The colour varies in that the black may obliterate all white markings and limit the orange or gold spots. The white on the dorsum and ‘neck’ may be pearly or silvery, or the whole pupa may be pale watery yellow with black edging to the salmon or gold spots and legs, and the veins of the wings are picked out in black. The imago emerges after 11 to 19 days.”

The eggs are laid in a single layer, spaced out. Mean clutch size is 122 (n=43).