International Day of Climate Action: SABCA challenge

Dear Butterfly Net
 
The SABCA challenge for the 350.org climate action campaign on 24 October was a great success. The challenge was to photograph 3 x 50 butterfly species (i.e. 150 species) in our atlas region (South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland) on one day. Quite a challenge!
 
Many photos were received and a total of 83 species (83 taxa) were photographed! (I.e. we reached 55% of our goal). Of these, nine are endemic to the atlas region. Considering that butterflies are weather dependent, seasonal, difficult to photograph and that a small number of people participated, this is an excellent achievement! This is a little more than the number of butterfly species that occur in the UK alone, in total. South Africa has a rich butterfly biodiversity, of at least 671 species (800 taxa), and it is important to understand the impacts of climate change on our more Threatened species which occur in very small areas and have very particular relationships with certain plant and ant species.
 
Thank you to the following people for participating and for doing their bit for butterfly biodiversity and climate change:
 
J & Y Bode
KP Braun
K Drummond-Hay
M Drummond-Hay
R & L Heyns
D Heunis
A Jones
BW Plowes
K Roos
RA Rowswell
JJ & E Serfontein
P Sharland
IC & A Sharp
CK Willis
 
And thank you to our expert panel for identifying the photos so quickly!
 
The following image has used some of the photos submitted for the 350.org challenge, to depict each species observed (an earlier version of this image was sent to 350.org). If you wish to find out more about a particular species, click on it's photo on the image below and this will take you to the record for that photo on our online Virtual Museum. Please feel free to browse the virtual museum to view all other records submitted.
 
350.org challenge - SABCA butterflies
 
350.org challenge
 
Here follows the list of the 83 species photographed, divided into the five butterfly Families (the percentage values in brackets indicate what proportion of taxa in that Family were photographed; the asterisks indicate the endemics):
 
HESPERIIDAE (7%)
Acleros mackenii mackenii (Macken's dart; Macken-se-dartelaartjie)
Borbo fatuellus fatuellus (Long-horned swift; Reenbos-ratsvlieer)
Eagris nottoana nottoana (Rufous-winged elfin; Eensame-kluisenaar)
Eretis umbra umbra (Small marbled elf; Kleinmarmer-kluisenaar)
Gegenes niso niso (Common hottentot; Geel-hotnot)
Metisella metis paris (Gold-spotted sylph; Reenbos-walsertjie)
Spialia dromus (Forest sandman; Bos-sandmannetjie)
Tagiades flesus (Clouded forester; Skaduwee-dartelaartjie)
 
LYCAENIDAE (6%)
Aloeides aranda (Aranda copper; Aranda-kopervlerkie)
*Aloeides lutescens or pierus (Worcester or Dull copper; Worcester- of Dowwe-kopervlerkie)
*Aloeides taikosama (Dusky copper; Donker-kopervlerkie)
Anthene definita definita (Common hairtail; Donker-kortstertjie)
Azanus jesous jesous (Topaz babul blue; Hemels-bloutjie)
Cacyreus lingeus (Bush bronze; Bos-malvabloutjie)
Chilades trochylus (Grass jewel; Grasjuweeltjie)
Cnodontes penningtoni (Pennington's buff; Pennington-se-boomgeelvlerkie)
Cupidopsis jobates jobates (Tailed meadow blue; Aasbloutjie)
Euchrysops subpallida (Ashen smoky blue; Asvaal-dowwebloutjie)
Hypolycaena philippus philippus (Purplebrown hairstreak; Persbruin-stertbloutjie)
Lachnocnema laches (Sothern pied woolly legs; Suidelike bont-wolpootjie)
Lampides boeticus (Pea blue; Lusern-bloutjie)
*Lepidochrysops lotana (Lotana blue; Lotana-bloutjie)
Lepidochrysops patricia (Patricia blue; Patricia-bloutjie)
*Lepidochrysops tantalus (King blue; Koning-bloutjie)
Leptomyrina henningi (Henning's black-eye; Henning-se-swartogie)
Leptotes pirithous pirithous (Common zebra blue; Gewone-ertjiebloutjie)
Myrina silenus ficedula (Common fig tree blue; Vyeboombloutjie)
Pseudonacaduba sichela sichela (Dusky line blue; Donker-bloutjie)
Tuxentius calice calice (White pie; Wit-bontetjie)
Tuxentius melaena melaena (Black pie; Swart-bontetjie)
Zizeeria knysna (African grass blue; Duwweltjie-bloutjie)
Zizula hylax (Tiny grass blue; Gaika-bloutjie)
 
NYMPHALIDAE (13%)
Acraea horta (Garden acraea; Tuin-rooitje)
Acraea natalica (Natal acraea; Natal-rooitjie)
Acraea neobule neobule (Wandering donkey acraea; Dwaalesel-rooitjie)
Acraea nohara nohara (Light red acraea; Berg-rooitjie)
Acraea oncaea (Window acraea; Rooibokkie-rooitjie)
Amauris albimaculata albimaculata (Layman; Layman friar; Ouheks)
Bicyclus anynana anynana (Squinting bush brown; Skeeloog-bosbruintjie)
Bicyclus safitza safitza (Common bush brown; Swart-bosbruintjie)
*Cassionympha cassius (Rainforest brown; Reenwoud-bosbruintjie)
*Cassionympha detecta (Cape brown; Kaapse-bosbruintjie)
Catacroptera cloanthe cloanthe (Pirate; Seerower)
Charaxes jahlusa rex (Pearl-spotted charaxes; Silwerkol-dubbelstert)
Danaus chrysippus orientis (African monarch, Plain tiger; Melkbosskoenlapper)
Hamanumida daedalus (Guinea-fowl butterfly; Tarentaaltjie)
Heteropsis perspicua perspicua (Eyed bush brown; Moeraswagter)
Hypolimnas anthedon wahlbergi (Variable diadem; Verneukertjie)
Junonia hierta cebrene (Yellow pansy; Geel-gesiggie)
Junonia oenone oenone (Blue pansy; Blou-gesiggie)
Junonia orithya madagascariensis (Eyed pansy; Padwagterjie)
Lachnoptera ayresii (Blotched leopard; Vaalkolluiperd)
Melanitis leda helena (Twilight bown; Skemer-bruintjie)
Neptis saclava marpessa (Spotted sailor; Spikkel-swewer)
Precis archesia archesia (Garden commodore; Rotsblaarvlerk)
Precis octavia sesamus (Gaudy Commodore; Rooi-en-blou-blaarvlerk)
Precis tugela tugela (Dry-leaf or Eared commodore; Tugela-blaarvlerk)
Protogoniomorpha anacardii nebulosa (Clouded Mother-of-pearl; Newelperlemoen)
Protogoniomorpha parhassus (Mother-of-pearl; Perlemoenskoenlapper)
*Pseudonympha magoides (False silver-bottom brown; Vals tower-bruintjie)
*Pseudonympha magus (Silver-bottom brown; Tower-bruintjie)
Vanessa cardui (Painted lady; Sondagsrokkie)
 
PAPILIONIDAE (33%)
Graphium antheus (Large striped swordtail; Jag-swaardstert)
Papilio constantinus constantinus (Constantine's swallowtail; Konstantyn-se-swaelstert)
Papilio dardanus cenea (Mocker swallowtail, Flying Handkerchief; Na-aper-swaelstert)
Papilio echerioides echeroides (White-banded swallowtail; Witlint-swaelstert)
Papilio nireus lyaeus (Green-banded swallowtail; Groenlint-swaelstert)
*Papilio ophidicephalus entabeni (Emperor swallowtail; Koning-swaelstert)
 
PIERIDAE (31%)
Belenois creona severina (African common white; Afrikaanse gewone witjie)
Belenois gidica abyssinica (African veined white; Laeveldwitjie)
Belenois zochalia zochalia (Forest white; Boswitjie)
Catopsilia florella (African migrant; Afrikaanse swerwer)
Colias electo electo (African clouded yellow; Lusernskoenlapper)
Colotis euippe omphale (Smoky orange tip; Donkeroranjepuntjie)
Colotis evenina evenina (Orange tip; Oranjepuntjie)
Colotis ione (Bushveld purple tip; Bosveld-perspuntjie)
Colotis pallene (Bushveld orange tip; Bosveldoranjepuntjie)
Dixeia pigea (Ant-heap white; Miershoopwitjie)
Eronia cleodora cleodora (Vine-leaf vagrant; Druiweblaarswerwer)
Eurema brigitta brigitta (Broad-bordered grass yellow; Grasveldgeletjie)
Leptosia alcesta inalcesta (African wood white; Fladderpapiertjie)
Pieris brassicae (Cabbage white; Kool-witjie)
Pontia helice helice (Common meadow white; Bontrokkie)
 
The results for the Birding Africa challenge can be viewed here:
http://350.birdingafrica.com
 
If you wish to see photos submitted by other South African actions, you can visit:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=south+africa&w=25654955%40N03&z=m&ss=2
(SABCA's two photos can be viewed here)
 
Best regards.
Silvia