Charaxes castor
Encyclopedia
The Giant Emperor or Giant Charaxes (Charaxes castor) is a butterfly
of the family Nymphalidae
. It is found throughout Africa.
The wingspan
is 75–85 mm in males and 85–105 mm in females. The flight period is year-round but more common in late summer to autumn.
Larvae feed on Bridelia micrantha
, Afzelia quanzensis, Tragia
spp., Gymnosporia
spp., Maytenus senegalensis, Scotia brachypetala, Bredelia micrantha and Cassia fistula.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the family Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
. It is found throughout Africa.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 75–85 mm in males and 85–105 mm in females. The flight period is year-round but more common in late summer to autumn.
Larvae feed on Bridelia micrantha
Bridelia micrantha
Bridelia micrantha, the Mitzeeri or the Coastal Golden-leaf, is a tree in the Phyllanthaceae family and is native to Africa.-Description:...
, Afzelia quanzensis, Tragia
Tragia
Tragia is a genus of flowering plants in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae. It comprises about one hundred species found in tropical and subtropical regions worldwide. Plants in this genus are sometimes known as noseburns....
spp., Gymnosporia
Gymnosporia
Gymnosporia is a genus of plant in family Celastraceae.Species include:* Gymnosporia bachmannii, Loes.* Gymnosporia heterophylla...
spp., Maytenus senegalensis, Scotia brachypetala, Bredelia micrantha and Cassia fistula.
Subpecies
Listed alphabetically.- C. c. arthuri van Someren, 1971
- C. c. castor (Cramer, [1775])
- C. c. comoranus Rothschild, 1903
- C. c. flavifasciatus Butler, 1895