Charaxes zelica, the zelica untailed charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and possibly Sierra Leone. The habitat consists of forests with altitudes of .
Adult males feed on otter and bird droppings and both sexes are attracted to fermented fruit.
The larvae feed on Pterocarpus santalinoides, Paullinia pinnata, Albizia zygia, Lonchocarpus cyanescens, Dalbergia, Millettia, Dichapetalum and Trachyphrynium species.
Description
Original description:
Descriptions are also provided van Someren.Victor Gurney Logan Van Someren 1974 Revisional notes on African Charaxes (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Part IX. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Entomology) 29 (8):415-487.
Differs from the related Charaxes lycurgus in the straighter hindwing distal border Kielland, J. 1990 Butterflies of Tanzania. Hill House, Melbourne and London: 1-363. Subspecies C. z. zelica (Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, western Nigeria) C. z. depuncta Joicey & Talbot, 1921 Joicey, J.J., & Talbot, G. 1921. New Lepidoptera collected by Mr. T.A. Barns in east central Africa. Bulletin of the Hill Museum, Witley 1: 40-166.(southern Sudan, Uganda, western Kenya) C. z. rougeoti Plantrou, 1978 Plantrou, J. 1978 Note sur les Charaxes du groupe ‘porthos-zelica’ et nouvelle revision de la taxonomie du groupe (Lepidoptera Nymphalidae). Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France (N.S.) 14 (3): 515-533.(eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the Congo, northern Angola) C. z. toyoshimai Carcasson, 1964Carcasson, R.H. 1964. New butterflies from the Kigoma area of western Tanganyika.Journal of the East Africa Natural History Society & Coryndon Museum 24 (4): 62-67. (north-western Tanzania)
Taxonomy Charaxes zelica is a member of the species group Charaxes lycurgus. The supposed clade members are:
Clade 1 Charaxes lycurgus - nominate Charaxes porthos Charaxes zelica
Clade 2 Charaxes mycerina Charaxes doubledayi
References
Victor Gurney Logan Van Someren, 1974 Revisional notes on African Charaxes (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Part IX. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Entomology) 29 (8):415-487. Seitz, A. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 32
External links Images of C. z. zelica Royal Museum for Central Africa (Albertine Rift Project) Images of C. z. rougeoti (Albertine Rift Project) Images at Bold C. z. depuncta one verso (underside) Bold images of C. z. rougeoti Bold images of C. z. zelica on Butterflies of Africa