Charaxes lasti


Charaxes lasti, the silver-striped charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania.

Description

lasti Smith male: the black spots on the upperside of the forewing which divide the median band are free or nearly so; the hindwing above is almost
unicolorous red-yellow, only before the distal margin with a row of black submarginal spots. The female has a whitish yellow median band, which on the forewing is already divided into two branches from cellule 2, the proximal one composed of very irregular spots; the distal part of the forewing is black with small red-yellow marginal spots; the basal part of both wings yellow-brown; the hindwing with a broad black submarginal band before the red-yellow distal margin. Manicaland to Mombasa in British East Africa.

Biology

The habitat consists of coastal and sub-coastal forests and heavy woodland.
The larvae feed on Afzelia quanzensis, Paramacrolobium coeruleum, Julbernardia magnistipulata, and Macrolobium species.

Taxonomy

Charaxes cynthia group.
The group members are:
Related to Charaxes cynthia, Charaxes macclounii and ''Charaxes boueti''

Subspecies

  • Charaxes lasti lasti
  • Charaxes lasti kimbozae Kielland, 1984
  • Charaxes lasti magomberae Kielland, 1984