Nature’s calling – common diadem butterfly
Butterflies most often take on the same colours and even similar patterns as butterflies that are well-known to be poisonous.
The common diadem butterfly is quite prevalent at present, so I thought it good to have a closer look at this species of butterfly.
One of the best ways in which bugs avoid ending up on someone’s menu is through camouflage. There are two different types of camouflage, either to blend in with their surroundings so that would-be predators cannot see them, or to look like something that a predator would not want to eat. This is exactly what the female common diadem butterfly does.
Believe it or not, butterflies are some of the best known camouflage mimics around, from being able to mimic a dead leaf to mimicking another insect and even bird poop. Butterflies most often take on the same colours and even similar patterns as butterflies that are well-known to be poisonous. There is no better example of this in our area than that of the female common diadem butterfly.
Everyone knows that the African Monarch butterfly is poisonous to eat. This poison comes from its larval food plant, the Milkweed, so most bug eating critters simply ignore an African Monarch butterfly. The female common diadem is not poisonous, but she is made to resemble the African Monarch so closely that she even fools most amateur butterfly enthusiasts. However, the pattern on the wings can vary quite dramatically from one individual to the next, but just the colour is enough to deter would-be predators.
You will notice that I have only been mentioning the female common diadem butterfly. This is because the common diadem is another one of those sexually dimorphic species of butterflies, where the male and female look quite different. The male of this species is predominantly black, with some large white and blue eye type of markings on the wings.
For some reason, I always notice more female common diadems flying around than its male counterparts. Perhaps it is due to her colouring that she feels more confident to be seen out in the open.
If you would like to contact Warren to have some of your interesting insects, snakes or other wildlife identified, send him a WhatsApp message or call him on 072-211-0353.
He also has a Facebook page called, Warren’s Small World.
