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    Kloof Fauna and Flora

    Butterflies

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    Butterflies of Kloof

    Acknowledgement: the photographs on this page are courtesy of Steve Woodhall

    Precis archesia male

    Precis archesia male

    Butterfly-Eronia-leda-male

    Eronia leda male

    Eronia cleodora female

    Eronia cleodora female

    Kloof is fortunate to have 204 species of butterflies recorded as at 17 February 2025.

    You can download the full list here: Download Butterfly List

    Please email info@kloofconservancy.org.za should you wish to receive the Butterfly List in Excel format


     

    Butterfly Gardening

    Junonia hierta cebrene

    Junonia hierta cebrene

    Silver-barred Emperor male upperside

    Silver-barred Emperor male

    Telchinia cabira female

    Telchinia cabira female

    To attract butterflies to your garden you need to plant some indigenous shrubs and trees. Most butterflies are host specific, meaning that they will only lay eggs on selected indigenous trees, shrubs, grasses and weeds. Larval host plants are incubators for the eggs as well as nurseries for the caterpillars. When you see the caterpillars nibbling on your favourite plants don’t rush out with the spray can. The leaves will return to their former glory and you will be rewarded with “flowers on wings” darting all over your garden.

    Many South African butterflies are on the endangered list and are disappearing along with the eradication of the indigenous flora. By attracting butterflies to your garden you will be contributing to conservation. Butterflies are important because they play a role in the pollination of flowers and are appreciated by insect eating birds and are of course a joy to behold. Once the caterpillars have turned into butterflies they need a different type of food, which is mainly nectar from plants.

    In general butterflies are attracted by the colour range red through to purple and will feed on fermenting fruit such as bananas or finely chopped pineapple. They also enjoy a mineral intake from little pockets of mud that may be in the garden.

    Phalanta larva

    Phalanta larva

    Phalanta pupa

    Phalanta pupa

    Phalanta

    Phalanta

    Phalanta egg

    Phalanta egg


    Plants for Butterflies

    There are many indigenous plants that will attract butterflies to your garden.

    Download a list of some of the more easily available butterfly attracting plants


    BUTTERFLY DAYS

    Kloof Conservancy in co-operation with the Lepidopterist’s Society of Africa run annual fun days for all ages aimed at educating the public on the beauty and value of butterflies.

    These events are run as part of our Back-to-Nature series of events


     Lepidopterists’ Society of AFrica

    For more information on butterflies contact the Lepidopterists Society of Africa:

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    Kloof Fauna and Flora

    Butterflies