Precis octavia

Precis octavia was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1777. The nominate subspecies (Precis octavia octavia) flies from West Africa, through Cameroun, Gabon, Republic of Central Africa, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, north to Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Zimbabwe. It has a wet season form, which is orange with a pinkish flush and black markings on the upperside, and a dry season form which is shining blue with a vivid red band on the hindwing. In his authoritative 2-vol. book "Butterflies of West Africa", Torben B. Larsen states "I believe this species has the most spectacular seasonal dimorphism of any butterfly, and the two morphs were [first] described as distinct species." In both forms the males and females are alike, Intermediate forms of the gaudy commodore are rare in nature, but can readily be produced in conditions created during captive breeding, displaying a wide range of mixtures of the wing patterns of both forms. ==Distribution==

The nominate northern subspecies (Precis octavia octavia) occurs from eastern Senegal, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, northern and central DRC, CAR, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia. to Eswatini, Mozambique, Tanzania and Kenya. ==Life cycle==

Eggs The eggs are tiny, rounded, green domes with ribs running up the sides. Larvae The larvae are variable; orange, or orange with black bands, or almost completely black. Adults The adults feed on nectar and have a year-round flight period. Regional timing of the onset of dry and wet seasons determines the flight times of the respective wet and dry forms in the nominate subspecies, Precis octavia octavia, which is prevalent in West Africa through Central to north-eastern Africa. The dry season form is expressed as the winter form in the southern subspecies Precis octavia sesame which flies from March to September. The wet season form is expressed in the south as the summer form flying from October to March. They fly between one and two meters off the ground with a medium-fast "flap-flap-glide" motion. The summer and winter form have been seen mating with each other. ==Subspecies==

• Precis octavia octavia ::Range: eastern Senegal, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, CAR, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, northern and central DRC • Precis octavia sesamus Trimen, 1883 ::Range: Uganda, Angola, southern and eastern DRC, Kenya to Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, northern Namibia, South Africa and Eswatini Precis octavia sesamus, winter form (Nymphalidae Nymphalinae Junoniini) (50030260087), crop.jpg|Winter form in the Drakensberg Precis octavia sesamus, wintervorm, J Dobson, a.jpg|Winter form – mounted specimen Precis octavia sesamus, summer form (Nymphalidae Nymphalinae Junoniini) on Rabdosiella calycina = Plectranthus calycinus (Lamiaceae) (46557028854).jpg|Summer form feeding at Plectranthus flowers Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1900 plate 58, fig. 1.jpg|A rare transitional form obtained in Kenya ==References==