VIRTUAL MUSEUM - COMPETITION WINNERS

February 2009
 
Dear Butterfly Net:
 
SABCA is pleased to announce the winners of it's first Virtual Museum competition.
 
Category 1 - Person who submitted the most geographically diverse number of butterfly records (based on the number of quarter degree grid cells covered).
 
First prize: One year's subscription to Africa Geographic
Chris Willis (59 quarter degree grid cells)
 
Second prize: "What's that butterfly?" signed by author Steve Woodhall
Gerhard Diedericks (42 quarter degree grid cells)
 
Third prize: "Butterflies of South Africa" poster
Ralda Heyns (30 quarter degree grid cells)
 
Category 2 - Person who submitted the most species rich number of butterfly records.
 
First prize: "Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa" signed by author Steve Woodhall
Ian & Alison Sharp (193 species)
 
Second prize: "Lepidoptera of Southern Africa: Host Plants and other Associations" by Doug Kroon
Chris Willis (146 species)
 
Third prize: "Butterflies of South Africa" poster
Gerhard Diedericks (97 species)
 
Category 3 - Person who submitted the most biologically interesting/unusual butterfly record.
(judged by the ID panel of experts, and thanks to panel member Andre Coetzer for explaining what makes these records special)
 
First prize: Set of prints of "Butterflies of Knysna" signed by artist Stephen Henning
Frieda Visser (record number 1114), for her record of Spialia asterodia displaying behaviour which has never before been recorded for any sandmen: the butterfly is seen feeding on bird droppings. A number of skippers are known to feed on bird droppings. They wet the dry dropping with a liquid from their abdomen, and then proceed to stir it a bit using the tip of their abdomen. They then proceed to drink this "milkshake" which presumably contains vital minerals. A number of lepidopterists have seen similar behaviour by members of the genus Borbo (the swifts) and a few other species.
 
Second prize: "The Butterflies of Zambia" by Heath, Newport & Hancock
Chris Willis (record number 3462), for his record of Hypolimnas deceptor deceptor, which is a rare butterfly in South Africa. Even though it can be common in forests further north in Africa (e.g. Malawi), few lepidopterists have had the fortune of finding specimens in our country. They have been recorded in several localities from Kosi Bay to Cape Vidal to Durban to East London. This record falls within its southern most distribution.
 
Third prize: "Butterflies of South Africa" poster
Cameron McMaster (record number 1779), for a new locality record of an Orachrysops species. This species still needs to be positively identified, and could possibly be a new species. Ground-truthing will take place in December to try and settle the debate. The Orachrysops group contains some of South Africa's most endangered butterflies, which include the famous Brenton blue (Orachrysops niobe) and the Karkloof Blue (Orachrysops ariadne). Most species are quite localised and occur only in one or two valleys or on a few slopes in their known ranges. To add to this, many of them only fly during short periods (a month or so) which makes them hard to get.
 
A BIG thank you to the following sponsors for the prizes:

Lepidopterists' Society of Africa
("The Butterflies of Zambia",
"Lepidoptera of Southern Africa:
Host Plants and other Associations" and posters)     		Author Steve Woodhall
Struik Publishers
("What's that butterfly?")
 
Africa Geographic
(magazine subscription) 		JAH & Associates, Environmental Consultancy
JAH & Associates,
Environmental Consultancy
("Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa")
 

Congratulations to all the winners. Winners will be contacted shortly for the prizes.
 
Thank you to everyone who submitted photographic records to SABCA's Virtual Museum. Your participation is of great value to the project!
 
And a big thank you to our ID panel of experts from the Lepidopterists' Society of Africa who spend much of their free time identifying the photos you send in.
 
Watch this space as SABCA will be launching it's second Virtual Museum competition soon! So keep on sending us your photos.
 
Silvia Mecenero
SABCA Project Coordinator
Email:
Tel: 021 650 3426