List of butterflies of South Africa



This is a list of butterflies of South Africa. Over 660 species are known from South Africa, a large proportion of which are endemic.

Subfamily Danainae

 * Amauris albimaculata
 * Amauris echeria
 * Amauris niavius
 * Amauris ochlea
 * Danaus chrysippus
 * Tirumala petiverana

Subfamily Satyrinae

 * Aeropetes tulbaghia
 * Bicyclus anynana
 * Bicyclus ena
 * Bicyclus safitza
 * Cassionympha camdeboo
 * Cassionympha cassius
 * Cassionympha detecta
 * Coenyra aurantiaca
 * Coenyra hebe
 * Coenyra rufiplaga
 * Coenyropsis natalii
 * Dingana alaedeus
 * Dingana alticola
 * Dingana angusta
 * Dingana bowkeri
 * Dingana clara
 * Dingana clarki
 * Dingana dingana
 * Dingana fraterna
 * Dingana jerinae
 * Dingana kammanassiensis
 * Dira clytus
 * Dira jansei
 * Dira oxylus
 * Dira swanepoeli
 * Gnophodes betsimena
 * Heteropsis perspicua
 * Melampias huebneri
 * Melanitis leda
 * Neita durbani
 * Neita extensa
 * Neita lotenia
 * Neita neita
 * Paralethe dendrophilus
 * Physcaeneura panda
 * Pseudonympha gaika
 * Pseudonympha hippia
 * Pseudonympha loxophthalma
 * Pseudonympha machacha
 * Pseudonympha magoides
 * Pseudonympha magus
 * Pseudonympha narycia
 * Pseudonympha paludis
 * Pseudonympha paragaika
 * Pseudonympha penningtoni
 * Pseudonympha poetula
 * Pseudonympha southeyi
 * Pseudonympha swanepoeli
 * Pseudonympha trimenii
 * Pseudonympha varii
 * Stygionympha curlei
 * Stygionympha dicksoni
 * Stygionympha geraldi
 * Stygionympha irrorata
 * Stygionympha robertsoni
 * Stygionympha scotina
 * Stygionympha vansoni
 * Stygionympha vigilans
 * Stygionympha wichgrafi
 * Tarsocera cassina
 * Tarsocera cassus
 * Tarsocera dicksoni
 * Tarsocera fulvina
 * Tarsocera imitator
 * Tarsocera namaquensis
 * Tarsocera southeyae
 * Torynesis hawequas
 * Torynesis magna
 * Torynesis mintha
 * Torynesis orangica
 * Torynesis pringlei
 * Ypthima antennata
 * Ypthima asterope
 * Ypthima condamini
 * Ypthima granulosa
 * Ypthima impura

Subfamily Heliconiinae

 * Acraea acara
 * Acraea acrita
 * Acraea aglaonice
 * Acraea anemosa
 * Acraea axina
 * Acraea barberi
 * Acraea boopis
 * Acraea caldarena
 * Acraea horta
 * Acraea lygus
 * Acraea machequena
 * Acraea natalica
 * Acraea neobule
 * Acraea nohara
 * Acraea oncaea
 * Acraea petraea
 * Acraea rabbaiae
 * Acraea satis
 * Acraea stenobea
 * Acraea trimeni
 * Acraea violarum
 * Bematistes aganice
 * Hyalites cerasa
 * Hyalites eponina
 * Hyalites obeira
 * Lachnoptera ayresii
 * Pardopsis punctatissima
 * Phalanta eurytis
 * Phalanta phalantha
 * Telchinia alalonga
 * Telchinia anacreon
 * Telchinia cabira
 * Telchinia encedon
 * Telchinia esebria
 * Telchinia igola
 * Telchinia induna
 * Telchinia rahira
 * Telchinia serena

Subfamily Charaxinae

 * Charaxes achaemenes
 * Charaxes bohemani
 * Charaxes brutus
 * Charaxes candiope
 * Charaxes castor
 * Charaxes cithaeron
 * Charaxes druceanus
 * Charaxes etesipe
 * Charaxes ethalion
 * Charaxes guderiana
 * Charaxes jahlusa
 * Charaxes jasius
 * Charaxes karkloof
 * Charaxes marieps
 * Charaxes pelias
 * Charaxes phaeus
 * Charaxes pondoensis
 * Charaxes protoclea
 * Charaxes vansoni
 * Charaxes varanes
 * Charaxes violetta
 * Charaxes xiphares
 * Charaxes zoolina
 * Euxanthe wakefieldi

Subfamily Limenitidinae

 * Cymothoe alcimeda
 * Cymothoe coranus
 * Euphaedra neophron
 * Euryphura achlys
 * Hamanumida daedalus
 * Neptis goochi
 * Neptis jordani
 * Neptis kiriakoffi
 * Neptis laeta
 * Neptis saclava
 * Neptis trigonophora
 * Pseudacraea boisduvali
 * Pseudacraea eurytus
 * Pseudacraea lucretia

Subfamily Cyrestinae

 * Cyrestis camillus

Subfamily Biblidinae

 * Byblia anvatara
 * Byblia ilithyia
 * Eurytela dryope
 * Eurytela hiarbas
 * Sevenia boisduvali
 * Sevenia morantii
 * Sevenia natalensis
 * Sevenia rosa

Subfamily Nymphalinae

 * Antanartia schaeneia
 * Catacroptera cloanthe
 * Hypolimnas anthedon
 * Hypolimnas deceptor
 * Hypolimnas misippus
 * Junonia hierta
 * Junonia natalica
 * Junonia oenone
 * Junonia orithya
 * Junonia terea
 * Junonia tugela
 * Precis antilope
 * Precis archesia
 * Precis ceryne
 * Precis octavia
 * Protogoniomorpha parhassus
 * Salamis anacardii
 * Vanessa cardui
 * Vanessa dimorphica
 * Vanessa hippomene

Subfamily Libytheinae

 * Libythea labdaca

Subfamily Coeliadinae

 * Coeliades anchises
 * Coeliades forestan
 * Coeliades keithloa
 * Coeliades libeon
 * Coeliades lorenzo
 * Coeliades pisistratus

Subfamily Pyrginae

 * Abantis bicolor
 * Abantis paradisea
 * Abantis tettensis
 * Abantis venosa
 * Alenia namaqua
 * Alenia sandaster
 * Astictopterus inornatus
 * Calleagris kobela
 * Calleagris krooni
 * Caprona pillaana
 * Celaenorrhinus mokeezi
 * Eagris nottoana
 * Eretis djaelaelae
 * Eretis umbra
 * Gomalia elma
 * Leucochitonea levubu
 * Metisella aegipan
 * Metisella malgacha
 * Metisella meninx
 * Metisella metis
 * Metisella syrinx
 * Metisella willemi
 * Netrobalane canopus
 * Sarangesa motozi
 * Sarangesa phidyle
 * Sarangesa ruona
 * Sarangesa seineri
 * Spialia agylla
 * Spialia asterodia
 * Spialia colotes
 * Spialia confusa
 * Spialia delagoae
 * Spialia depauperata
 * Spialia diomus
 * Spialia dromus
 * Spialia mafa
 * Spialia nanus
 * Spialia paula
 * Spialia sataspes
 * Spialia secessus
 * Spialia spio
 * Tagiades flesus
 * Tsitana dicksoni
 * Tsitana tsita
 * Tsitana tulbagha
 * Tsitana uitenhaga

Subfamily Hesperiinae

 * Acada biseriata
 * Acleros mackenii
 * Andronymus caesar
 * Andronymus neander
 * Artitropa erinnys
 * Borbo borbonica
 * Borbo detecta
 * Borbo fallax
 * Borbo fatuellus
 * Borbo ferruginea
 * Borbo gemella
 * Borbo holtzii
 * Borbo lugens
 * Borbo micans
 * Fresna nyassae
 * Gegenes hottentota
 * Gegenes niso
 * Gegenes pumilio
 * Kedestes barberae
 * Kedestes callicles
 * Kedestes chaca
 * Kedestes lenis
 * Kedestes lepenula
 * Kedestes macomo
 * Kedestes mohozutza
 * Kedestes nerva
 * Kedestes niveostriga
 * Kedestes sarahae
 * Kedestes wallengrenii
 * Moltena fiara
 * Parnara monasi
 * Parosmodes morantii
 * Pelopidas mathias
 * Pelopidas thrax
 * Platylesches ayresii
 * Platylesches dolomitica
 * Platylesches galesa
 * Platylesches moritili
 * Platylesches neba
 * Platylesches picanini
 * Platylesches robustus
 * Platylesches tina
 * Zenonia zeno
 * Zophopetes dysmephila

Subfamily Poritiinae

 * Alaena amazoula
 * Alaena margaritacea
 * Baliochila aslanga
 * Baliochila lipara
 * Cnodontes penningtoni
 * Deloneura immaculata
 * Deloneura millari
 * Durbania amakosa
 * Durbania limbata
 * Durbaniella clarki
 * Durbaniopsis saga
 * Ornipholidotos peucetia
 * Pentila tropicalis
 * Teriomima zuluana

Subfamily Miletinae

 * Aslauga australis
 * Lachnocnema bibulus
 * Lachnocnema durbani
 * Lachnocnema laches
 * Lachnocnema regularis


 * Thestor barbatus
 * Thestor basutus
 * Thestor brachycerus
 * Thestor braunsi
 * Thestor calviniae
 * Thestor camdeboo
 * Thestor claassensi
 * Thestor compassbergae
 * Thestor dicksoni
 * Thestor dryburghi
 * Thestor holmesi
 * Thestor kaplani
 * Thestor montanus
 * Thestor murrayi
 * Thestor overbergensis
 * Thestor penningtoni
 * Thestor petra
 * Thestor pictus
 * Thestor pringlei
 * Thestor protumnus
 * Thestor rileyi
 * Thestor rooibergensis
 * Thestor rossouwi
 * Thestor stepheni
 * Thestor strutti
 * Thestor vansoni
 * Thestor yildizae

Subfamily Aphnaeinae

 * Aloeides almeida
 * Aloeides apicalis
 * Aloeides aranda
 * Aloeides arida
 * Aloeides bamptoni
 * Aloeides barbarae
 * Aloeides barklyi
 * Aloeides braueri
 * Aloeides caffrariae
 * Aloeides caledoni
 * Aloeides carolynnae
 * Aloeides clarki
 * Aloeides damarensis
 * Aloeides dentatis
 * Aloeides depicta
 * Aloeides dicksoni
 * Aloeides dryas
 * Aloeides egerides
 * Aloeides gowani
 * Aloeides henningi
 * Aloeides juana
 * Aloeides kaplani
 * Aloeides lutescens
 * Aloeides macmasteri
 * Aloeides maluti
 * Aloeides margaretae
 * Aloeides mbuluensis
 * Aloeides merces
 * Aloeides molomo
 * Aloeides monticola
 * Aloeides nollothi
 * Aloeides nubilus
 * Aloeides oreas
 * Aloeides pallida
 * Aloeides penningtoni
 * Aloeides pierus
 * Aloeides pringlei
 * Aloeides quickelbergei
 * Aloeides rileyi
 * Aloeides rossouwi
 * Aloeides simplex
 * Aloeides stevensoni
 * Aloeides susanae
 * Aloeides swanepoeli
 * Aloeides taikosama
 * Aloeides thyra
 * Aloeides titei
 * Aloeides trimeni
 * Aloeides vansoni
 * Aphnaeus hutchinsonii
 * Argyraspodes argyraspis
 * Axiocerses amanga
 * Axiocerses coalescens
 * Axiocerses croesus
 * Axiocerses tjoane
 * Chloroselas mazoensis
 * Chloroselas pseudozeritis
 * Chrysoritis adonis
 * Chrysoritis aethon
 * Chrysoritis aridus
 * Chrysoritis aureus
 * Chrysoritis azurius
 * Chrysoritis beaufortius
 * Chrysoritis beulah
 * Chrysoritis blencathrae
 * Chrysoritis braueri
 * Chrysoritis brooksi
 * Chrysoritis chrysantas
 * Chrysoritis chrysaor
 * Chrysoritis daphne
 * Chrysoritis dicksoni
 * Chrysoritis endymion
 * Chrysoritis felthami
 * Chrysoritis irene
 * Chrysoritis lycegenes
 * Chrysoritis lyncurium
 * Chrysoritis midas
 * Chrysoritis natalensis
 * Chrysoritis nigricans
 * Chrysoritis oreas
 * Chrysoritis orientalis
 * Chrysoritis palmus
 * Chrysoritis pan
 * Chrysoritis pelion
 * Chrysoritis penningtoni
 * Chrysoritis perseus
 * Chrysoritis phosphor
 * Chrysoritis plutus
 * Chrysoritis pyramus
 * Chrysoritis pyroeis
 * Chrysoritis rileyi
 * Chrysoritis swanepoeli
 * Chrysoritis thysbe
 * Chrysoritis trimeni
 * Chrysoritis turneri
 * Chrysoritis uranus
 * Chrysoritis violescens
 * Chrysoritis zeuxo
 * Chrysoritis zonarius
 * Cigaritis ella
 * Cigaritis mozambica
 * Cigaritis namaquus
 * Cigaritis natalensis
 * Cigaritis phanes
 * Crudaria capensis
 * Crudaria leroma
 * Crudaria wykehami
 * (Erikssonia acraeina)
 * Erikssonia edgei
 * Phasis braueri
 * Phasis clavum
 * Phasis pringlei
 * Phasis thero
 * Trimenia argyroplaga
 * Trimenia macmasteri
 * Trimenia malagrida
 * Trimenia wallengrenii
 * Trimenia wykehami
 * Tylopaedia sardonyx

Subfamily Theclinae

 * Capys alphaeus
 * Capys disjunctus
 * Capys penningtoni
 * Deudorix antalus
 * Deudorix dariaves
 * Deudorix dinochares
 * Deudorix dinomenes
 * Deudorix diocles
 * Deudorix penningtoni
 * Deudorix vansoni
 * Hypolycaena buxtoni


 * Hypolycaena caeculus
 * Hypolycaena lochmophila
 * Hypolycaena philippus
 * Iolaus aemulus
 * Iolaus alienus
 * Iolaus aphnaeoides
 * Iolaus bowkeri
 * Iolaus diametra
 * Iolaus lulua
 * Iolaus mimosae
 * Iolaus nasisii
 * Iolaus pallene
 * Iolaus sidus
 * Iolaus silarus
 * Iolaus silas
 * Iolaus subinfuscata
 * Iolaus trimeni
 * Leptomyrina gorgias
 * Leptomyrina henningi
 * Leptomyrina hirundo
 * Leptomyrina lara
 * Myrina dermaptera
 * Myrina silenus

Subfamily Lycaeninae

 * Lycaena clarki
 * Lycaena orus

Subfamily Polyommatinae

 * Actizera lucida
 * Actizera stellata
 * Anthene amarah
 * Anthene butleri
 * Anthene contrastata
 * Anthene crawshayi
 * Anthene definita
 * Anthene juanitae
 * Anthene kersteni
 * Anthene lemnos
 * Anthene lindae
 * Anthene liodes
 * Anthene millari
 * Anthene minima
 * Anthene otacilia
 * Anthene princeps
 * Anthene talboti
 * Azanus jesous
 * Azanus mirza
 * Azanus moriqua
 * Azanus natalensis
 * Azanus ubaldus
 * Brephidium metophis
 * Cacyreus dicksoni
 * Cacyreus lingeus
 * Cacyreus marshalli
 * Cacyreus tespis
 * Cacyreus virilis
 * Cupidopsis cissus
 * Cupidopsis jobates
 * Eicochrysops hippocrates
 * Eicochrysops messapus
 * Euchrysops barkeri
 * Euchrysops dolorosa
 * Euchrysops malathana
 * Euchrysops osiris
 * Euchrysops subpallida
 * Freyeria trochylus
 * Harpendyreus noquasa
 * Harpendyreus notoba
 * Harpendyreus tsomo
 * Lampides boeticus
 * Lepidochrysops asteris
 * Lepidochrysops australis
 * Lepidochrysops bacchus
 * Lepidochrysops badhami
 * Lepidochrysops balli
 * Lepidochrysops braueri
 * Lepidochrysops dukei
 * Lepidochrysops glauca
 * Lepidochrysops grahami
 * Lepidochrysops gydoae
 * Lepidochrysops ignota
 * Lepidochrysops irvingi
 * Lepidochrysops jamesi
 * Lepidochrysops jefferyi
 * Lepidochrysops ketsi
 * Lepidochrysops lerothodi
 * Lepidochrysops letsea
 * Lepidochrysops littoralis
 * Lepidochrysops loewensteini
 * Lepidochrysops lotana
 * Lepidochrysops macgregori
 * Lepidochrysops methymna
 * Lepidochrysops oosthuizeni
 * Lepidochrysops oreas
 * Lepidochrysops ortygia
 * Lepidochrysops outeniqua
 * Lepidochrysops patricia
 * Lepidochrysops penningtoni
 * Lepidochrysops pephredo
 * Lepidochrysops plebeia
 * Lepidochrysops poseidon
 * Lepidochrysops praeterita
 * Lepidochrysops pringlei
 * Lepidochrysops procera
 * Lepidochrysops puncticilia
 * Lepidochrysops quickelbergei
 * Lepidochrysops robertsoni
 * Lepidochrysops rossouwi
 * Lepidochrysops southeyae
 * Lepidochrysops swanepoeli
 * Lepidochrysops swartbergensis
 * Lepidochrysops tantalus
 * Lepidochrysops titei
 * Lepidochrysops trimeni
 * Lepidochrysops vansoni
 * Lepidochrysops variabilis
 * Lepidochrysops victori
 * Lepidochrysops wykehami
 * Leptotes babaulti
 * Leptotes brevidentatus
 * Leptotes jeanneli
 * Leptotes pirithous
 * Leptotes pulchra
 * Orachrysops ariadne
 * Orachrysops brinkmani
 * Orachrysops lacrimosa
 * Orachrysops mijburghi
 * Orachrysops montanus
 * Orachrysops nasutus
 * Orachrysops niobe
 * Orachrysops regalis
 * Orachrysops subravus
 * Orachrysops violescens
 * Orachrysops warreni
 * Oraidium barberae
 * Pseudonacaduba sichela
 * Tarucus bowkeri
 * Tarucus sybaris
 * Tarucus thespis
 * Tuxentius calice
 * Tuxentius hesperis
 * Tuxentius melaena
 * Uranothauma nubifer
 * Zintha hintza
 * Zizeeria knysna
 * Zizina antanossa
 * Zizula hylax

Subfamily Coliadinae

 * Catopsilia florella
 * Colias electo
 * Eurema brigitta
 * Eurema desjardinsii
 * Eurema hecabe

Subfamily Papilioninae

 * Graphium angolanus
 * Graphium antheus
 * Graphium colonna
 * Graphium leonidas
 * Graphium morania
 * Graphium policenes
 * Graphium porthaon
 * Papilio constantinus
 * Papilio dardanus
 * Papilio demodocus
 * Papilio echerioides
 * Papilio euphranor
 * Papilio nireus
 * Papilio ophidicephalus