Nature’s Calling – Woolly-legs butterflies
So just like the Ladybugs, these little butterflies should be conserved and protected in the garden.
BUTTERFLIES as a group of insects have so much more to offer than just their spectacular colours.
Just like birds, their chosen habitat and lifestyles can vary considerably between different species.
What some lack in colour, they make up for in other aspects.
The best example of this is found in the woolly-legs butterflies. Most folks see these and say, “That’s a strange looking moth, with its fluffy legs.” But it is in fact a butterfly and there is a very good reason for it to have fluffy legs.
There are four different species of woolly-legs butterflies found in South Africa and all four can be found in the Durban area. They are all small butterflies with a maximum wingspan of only 38mm. All four species are similarly coloured, making it quite difficult to tell them apart.
The most fascinating thing about these butterflies is their diet. You will never see them feeding on flowers or even feeding on rotting fruit, but their favourite and only food is honeydew which is produced by aphids. The reason for the fluffy, woolly legs is a self-defence mechanism against ants. As an added incentive to conserve these butterflies in your garden, is that their larvae (babies) feed on aphids. The larvae are just as effective as ladybugs in reducing aphid numbers.
So just like the ladybugs, these little butterflies should be conserved and protected in the garden.
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.
SEE MORE OF WARREN’S ARTICLES HERE:
- It’s a bug’s life: A day in a life of Bluff photographer Warren Dick
- Nature’s Calling – Brown house snake
- Nature’s Calling – Natal green snake
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