Charaxes cacuthis

Charaxes cacuthis is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found on Madagascar.^[3] The habitat consists of lowland and coastal forests.

• 
  recto
• 
  verso

Charaxes cacuthis
Figures 12 and 13
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Charaxes
Species:	C. cacuthis
Binomial name
Charaxes cacuthis Hewitson, 1863 [1][2]
Synonyms
Charaxes antanala Lucas, 1872

Description

For a key to the terms used, see Glossary of entomology terms.

A full description is given by Walter Rothschild and Karl Jordan (1900). Novitates Zoologicae volume 7:287-524. page 457-458 as subspecies of Charaxes etesipe (for terms see Novitates Zoologicae volume 5:545-601 ) Seitz- Very similar to Charaxes etesipe In the male, however, the blue transverse band is continuous and about 8 millimetres (0.31 in). in breadth, not narrowed anteriorly; the blue spots in cellules la and lb on the forewing are about 6 mm. in breadth and joined together into a band. The female is distinguished by having the broad median band of the upper surface white on the hindwing and to vein 2 or 3 of the forewing, thence orange-yellow to the costal margin of the forewing. Madagascar.^[4] The tails of both sexes are longer than those of any other members of the etesipe group.

Life history

The larvae feed on Annona senegalensis.

Realm

Afrotropical realm

Classification

Closely related to Charaxes penricei and Charaxes etesipe ^[5]

Charaxes cacuthis is a member of the species group Charaxes etesipe.

The clade members are:

• Charaxes etesipe nominate
• Charaxes penricei
• Charaxes achaemenes
• Charaxes paradoxa
• Charaxes cacuthis
• Charaxes bwete
• Charaxes cristalensis