Clouded mother-of-pearl facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Clouded mother-of-pearl
P. a. anacardii, Ghana
Underside
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Approximate range      P. a. anacardii (Linnaeus, 1758)      P. a. nebulosa (Trimen, 1881)      P. a. ansorgei (Rothschild, 1904)      P. (a.) duprei (Vinson, 1863)
Synonyms
Papilio anacardii Linnaeus, 1758 Salamis anacardii Salamis anacardii ansorgei Rothschild, 1904 Salamis definata Butler, 1879 Salamis duprei var. billerei Oberthür, 1925 Salamis nebulosa Trimen, 1881 Salamis anacardii var. lurida Niepelt, 1920 Salamis anacardii f. formosa Stoneham, 1965 Protogoniomorpha anacardii nebulosa f. trimeni van Son, 1979

The Clouded Mother-of-Pearl (scientific name: Protogoniomorpha anacardii) is a type of butterfly. It belongs to the Nymphalidae family, also known as brush-footed butterflies. You can find this butterfly in warm, tropical parts of Africa and in some areas of Arabia.

These butterflies are quite big! Male Clouded Mother-of-Pearls have a wingspan of about 55 to 68 millimeters. Females are even larger, with a wingspan of 65 to 75 millimeters. This means their wings can stretch out to be almost as long as a credit card.

You can see these butterflies flying around all year long. However, they are most active during the summer and autumn months.

What Does It Look Like?

The Clouded Mother-of-Pearl butterfly has some cool features. Its upper wings are mostly white. They have dark spots near the edges. There are also two yellow eye-like spots near the bottom of the wings. These spots might help scare away predators.

But the underside of its wings is very different! It looks a lot like a dead leaf. This amazing camouflage helps the butterfly hide when it rests. It blends right in with its surroundings.

What Do Caterpillars Eat?

Before they become butterflies, Clouded Mother-of-Pearl caterpillars need to eat a lot. They munch on the flowers of several different plants. These plants include:

• Asystasia
• Brillantaisia
• Isoglossa
• Justicia
• Mimulopsis
• Paulowilhelmia

Where Do They Live?

The Clouded Mother-of-Pearl butterfly lives in different regions across Africa and Arabia. Scientists have identified a few different types, called subspecies. These subspecies are slightly different from each other and live in specific areas.

Main Subspecies Locations

• P. a. anacardii
  • This subspecies is found in West Africa.
  • You can see it in countries like Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, and western Nigeria.
  • It also lives in the Central African Republic and extends towards the Rift Valley.

• P. a. ansorgei
  • This type was named by Rothschild in 1904.
  • It lives in southern parts of Africa.
  • Its home includes Angola and the southern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

• P. a. nebulosa
  • Trimen named this subspecies in 1881.
  • It has a wide range across East and Southern Africa.
  • You can find it in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Botswana.
  • It also lives in South Africa, Eswatini, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen.

Gallery

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  P. a. anacardii
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  P. a. nebulosa f. trimeni (female dry-season form)
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  P. a. duprei
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  P. a. duprei
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  P. a. duprei
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  Vanesa anacardii (= Protogoniomorpha anacardii) by Dru Drury