Colotis lais (Butler, 1876)

Terblanche, Reinier F., 2023, Colotis lais (Butler, 1876) and Colotis euippe omphale (Godart, [1819]) use Cadaba aphylla (Thunb.) Wild LC as a host-plant at Tswalu Kalahari, Northern Cape Province, South Africa), Metamorphosis 34 (1), pp. 105-112 : 107-108

Observations of the adult stage of C. lais and C. euippe omphale at Tswalu Kalahari

Males of C. lais are conspicuously present at non-perennial rivers in the reserve, and they fly up and down dry riverbeds (active channels) during midday hours. C. lais uses a variety of nectar sources including C. aphylla flowers ( Fig. 8). C. euippe omphale males also fly up and down the non-perennial rivers, but often tend to keep to the shades of trees at the riparian zone next to active channels (streambeds). Such patrolling of male C. lais and C. euippe omphale was observed at the riparian zones in the vicinity of the Dedeben Research Centre and at other places at Tswalu Kalahari such as the Tarkuni valley, approximately three km south of the research centre, as well as a valley which is located approximately 7,5 km south of the research centre. Puddling behaviour of adult butterflies that imbibe water and nutrients at wet soil was observed for both C. lais and C. euippe omphale at these riparian zones ( Figs 2 & 5 ). On 19 December 2021, a C. lais female oviposited on a GPS-marked C. aphylla individual labelled C aphy 15 ( Fig. 7 ). The female was not shy of flying into the bush among the numerous stems, as observed from 11:42-11:48, to oviposit on the stems. On occasion, the female would settle on bare ground with open wings next to the C. aphylla shrub on which the eggs had been laid. The height class of C aphy 15 is> 0,5 m – 1 m ( Table 1). This C. aphylla individual grows with the grass species Panicum maximum Jacq. Numerous grass culms were found to be growing in between the stems of the C. aphylla shrub.

Notes were taken of ovipositing behaviours and the feeding behaviours of the larvae of C. lais and C. euippe omphale at individually GPS-marked C. aphylla plants. The ecology (including phenology) of fifteen randomly selected GPSmarked C. aphylla plants in the vicinity of the Dedeben Research Centre at Tswalu Kalahari was studied on a continuous basis and each plant was given a sample name ( Table 1; Fig. 7 ). Coordinate grid references and altitudes were taken on site with Garmin e-Trex 20 ® and GPS Garmin e-Trex 10 ® instruments. Map information was analysed and depicted on Google Earth images with the aid of Google Earth Pro (US Dept. of State Geographer, MapLink / Tele Atlas, Google, 2023). A Caterpillar Rearing Group (CRG) reference number for each rearing of a larva was added to the text where applicable. The number comprises “RFT” followed by the last two digits of the year in which the larva was collected and, after an inserted “H,” the number of the rearing allocated in that year. For example, the CRG reference number RFT21H78 labels the fact that the larva was collected by R.F. Terblanche in 2021 and that the rearing number for that year was 78.

On 22 December 2021, a female C. lais oviposited on a C. aphylla labelled C aphy 10 ( Fig. 7 ). On occasion, she also ventured “into the bush” to find herself amidst numerous stems of the C. aphylla shrub. The observation of ovipositing was made during a time interval of 12:27 – 12:33. She also oviposited on lower stems at the periphery of the C. aphylla shrub, and settled next to the C. aphylla shrub on bare ground with open wings at times. The height class of C aphy 10 is> 2 m – 3 m ( Table 1).

Figures

Figure 2 – Colotis lais male, puddling (imbibing water and nutrients from wet soil) at a damp area near the Dedeben Research Centre, Tswalu Kalahari, South Africa, 24 December 2021. Photo: R.F. Terblanche.

Figure 5 – Colotis euippe omphale male puddling (imbibing water and nutrients from wet soil) at a damp area near the Dedeben Research Centre, Tswalu Kalahari, South Africa, 22 December 2021. Photo: R.F. Terblanche.

Figure 7 – Depiction of GPS-marked Cadaba aphylla host plants (white markers) selected for ecological monitoring, north and north-west of the Dedeben Research Centre at Tswalu Kalahari.