Sevenia boisduvali
Sevenia boisduvali, the Boisduval's tree nymph, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. There are four subspecies; all native to Africa.
Description
The following is a description for S. b. boisduvali:The wingspan of Boisduval's tree nymph is 40–45 mm. The upper surface of the wings of the male are uniform dark brown, with small dark spots near the fringe of the hindwings. The female has an overall lighter brown colour on the upper surface, and orange-brown markings near the tips of the forewings. The dark spots near the fringe of the hindwings are more pronounced in females. The undersurface of the hindwings of both sexes are variegated grey and brown, and have an arc of seven dark spots encircled firstly by a greyish ring, and then an orange-brown ring. The undersurface of the forewing is orange brown with a row of four black spots near the tip. The female forewing also has two dark brown bands.
Distribution and habitat
Boisduval's tree nymph is found in the warmer, forested areas of Africa. The four subspecies are found in different regions:- S. b. boisduvali favours coastal forests, but may also be found in temperate forests. This subspecies is found from Cape Town, along the east coast of South Africa, through Swaziland and Mozambique, to eastern Zimbabwe. They are most common in the low-altitude areas of KwaZulu-Natal and in eastern Mpumalanga, South Africa.
- S. b. omissa is found from Sierra Leone to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and western Kenya.
- S. b. kaffana is found in Ethiopia.
- S. b. insularis is found on São Tomé.
Life cycle
Eggs
The female lays a group of eggs on the undersurface of a leaf of the larval food plant. The eggs are yellowish at first, but change to brown as the larvae develop within.Larvae
The larval food plants in Southern Africa are Sclerocroton integerrimus and the jumping-seed tree. In Kenya, the larva have been recorded on Excoecaria, Phyllanthus, Macaranga, Kigelia and Sterculia. The larvae are gregarious and at first only eat the upper layer of the leaves, working from the tip to the base, and leaving a pale green dead leaf behind. As they grow older, the larvae begin to eat the entire leaf, starting at the leaf margin. Sometimes the larvae defoliate individual trees.The full-grown larvae attach their rear ends to a leaf or branch with a small patch of silk and hang with their heads down. After about a day or so, they shed their skin to reveal a pupa.