Twilight Brown butterfly

Afrikaans name: Skemerbruintjie

Photo © Steven Herbert

Melanitis leda helena

The Twilight Brown butterfly is also known as the Evening Brown (makes sense to me!). Males are a bit smaller than females. Males have a wingspan of around 6 cm and females are about 6.5 cm.

This butterfly has slight differences between its wet and dry season forms. The underwing colouration is quite variable.

The name Twilight (or Evening!) Brown comes from it being most active at these times.

This butterfly has quite a widespread distribution. It is found from Cape Town all the way along the east coast of South Africa through to Mpumalanga, Limpopo and North West Province.

It is found in riverine gullies, along forest edges and flatlands.

References and further reading

Whats That Butterfly - Author: Steve Woodhall - Published: 2008 - Page: 1049

Self-guided Trails in Durban - Author: Durban Corporation - Published: 0 - Page: 122

Southern African Wildlife - Author: Readers Digest - Published: 1989 - Page: 343

Pocket Guide - Insects of South Africa - Author: Mike Picker & Charles Griffiths - Published: 2015 - Page: 125

Pollinators, Predators and Parasites - Author: C. Scholtz, J. Scholtz, H. De Klerk - Published: 2021 - Page: 39

Ivor Migdolls Field Guide to the Butterflies of Southern Africa - Author: Ivor Migdoll - Published: 1987 - Page: 146

Gardening for Butterflies - Author: Steve Woodhall & Lindsay Gray - Published: 2015 - Page: 31

Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa - 2nd edition - Author: Steve Woodhall - Published: 2020 - Page: 46

Field Guide to Insects of South Africa - Author: Mike Picker, Charles Griffiths and Alan Weaving - Published: 0 - Page: 374

Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa - 1st edition - Author: Steve Woodhall - Published: 2005 - Page: 40

Familiar South African Butterflies - Author: Clive Quickelberge - Published: 1986 - Page: 18

Butterflies of Southern Africa - Author: Hugo Germishuys - Published: 1982 - Page: 31

Butterflies of Southern Africa - A field guide - Author: Mark Williams - Published: 1994 - Page: 129

Butterflies of the Kruger National Park - Author: Johan Kloppers and the late Dr. G. Van Son - Published: 1978 - Page: 59

Wikipedia

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