Yellow Splendour

Scientific Name
Colotis protomedia
KLUG, 1829
Specie in
Family
Yellow Splendour
Colotis protomedia, Ethiopia – Peter Bruce-Jones

Introduction

There are about 40 Colotis species, of which 39 are primarily or entirely Afrotropical in distribution.

Most Colotis butterflies have white uppersides, with orange or crimson wing tips, but there are a few exceptions, whose uppersides are predominantly yellow, with black markings.

Colotis protomedia is a large species, with a beautiful primrose yellow upperside, bordered with black. The veins on the forewings are also black, as it the sub apical bar.

The Yellow Splendour is distributed from Nigeria to Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan, Ethiopia and south west Arabia.

Habitats

This species inhabits dry savannah at altitudes between about 800-2000m.

Lifecycle

The larval foodplant is Maerua ( Capparidaceae ).

Adult behaviour

The butterflies are very active, pausing only to nectar periodically at the flowers of Maerua bushes.

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Butterfly of
Scientific Name
Colotis protomedia
by
KLUG, 1829
Family
SubFamily
PIERINAE
Tribe
COLOTINI
SubTribe
N/A

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