Have you noticed how many butterflies we have fluttering around on Fairview Estates? Due to the biodiversity here on our Fairview farms, thanks to our eco-conscious farmers and our Macadamia Co-op Farmer, Scott Meyer, we are privileged enough to attract many different butterfly species. Butterflies are enchanting creatures that have a way of capturing our attention as they gracefully fly past us. With their vibrant colours and graceful flight, they bring a sense of beauty and wonder to our world.
Here are a few of these beautiful insects that have been spotted here on our farm:
Blue Pansy Butterfly, also known as Junonia Orithya:
The blue pansies often form ‘all-boys groups’, where the males are seen hovering around in the sun in large numbers.
Brown Commoner Butterfly
The undersides of nearly all Bebearia species are cryptically patterned. In the case of zonara, the undersides of both sexes are a dull greyish or slightly creamy colour, heavily marbled with greyish brown. When the butterflies are on the forest floor with their wings closed, the overall impression is of a dead dry leaf.
Mylothris Agathina Butterfly, also known as the Eastern Dotted Border
The slow-flying adults are on wing year-round, with peaks in October and from late February to April.
Soldier Pansy Butterfly
They fly slowly through shady clearings and along pathways and settle often, usually on a leaf just above ground level.
Hawk moth
The Sphingidae are a family of moths called sphinx moths, also colloquially known as hawk moths, with many of their caterpillars known as “hornworms”; it includes about 1,450 species.
Goliath moth
They are one of the largest moths in the world, with a wingspan of up to 11 inches. They are found in tropical and subtropical regions of the world and are particularly common in Africa. Goliath moths are nocturnal creatures and are attracted to light. Goliath moths are carnivorous, and their diet consists primarily of other insects. They have been known to eat lizards, frogs, and even small birds. Goliath moths have a long proboscis, or tube-like mouthpiece, which they use to pierce the skin of their prey and suck out the juices.
African Monarch Danaus Chrysippus aegyptius
The African Monarch is a common butterfly found throughout South Africa. Its coloration is mimicked by several butterflies due to its poisonous nature. Larval stage feeds mostly on the toxic milkweed.
Forest Queen Euxanthe wakefieldi
Males and females are different in colouration. (dimorphic). This male specimen was caught in KwaZulu-Natal.
Butterflies are beautiful and delicate creatures that remind us of how amazing nature can be. They go through a fascinating transformation from an egg to a caterpillar to a butterfly. Their unique features and the important role they play in nature make them truly special. We should value and take care of these fragile creatures so that future generations can also enjoy their enchanting beauty. If you come across any on Fairview snap a pic and share it with your fellow farmers on the Fairview Estates WhatsApp group.
