Discover the Gaudy Commodore Butterfly’s beauty
In summer, this butterfly is red and black. In winter it is midnight blue, red and black.
By Warren Dick
Butterflies have fascinated me since I was a young boy, their beauty is absolutely amazing to me, however there is so much more to butterflies than just their aesthetic beauty.
Their whole life-cycle is fascinating, however it goes even beyond this for me. South Africa is one of the most species rich countries in the world being home to more than 670 different species of butterflies. Their diet and living habitat can vary quite dramatically from one species to the next. Some species of butterflies even look different at different times of the year, one such butterfly is the Gaudy Commodore.
In summer this butterfly is red and black, and in winter it is midnight blue, red and black.
However this does not mean that the red butterfly changes its colour in winter, however the new butterflies that emerge in the winter months are blue in colour and the ones that emerge in summer are red in colour. In early spring and in early autumn it is sometimes possible to get what is called and intermediate version, where the butterfly is a mix of the two different forms.
On cooler winter days, these butterflies are known to congregate in large numbers in the shade of walls and river banks. These butterflies can be attracted to your garden with flowers.
If you would like to make contact with me to have some of your interesting insects, snakes or spiders identified, feel free to send me a Whatsapp or call: 072 211 0353.
