Africa Wild

Are we going to behead someone ?

Welcome on board, John

Welcome John!

Much appreciated - thanks

Hi
can anyone ID this butterfly please taken last week at Tydon Safari Camp, Sabi Sands.

Thank you.

I know nothing about this, but is that not a moth?

I think it's a butterfly, Flutterby? The knobbed antennae are generally a sign?

I told you I knew nothing!

The colours point to a moth........but I know nothing either

My 2 cent's worth - which is actually worth about 1 cent since I don't have an African ID book for this particular Family, is that it is a butterfly in the Superfamily Hesperioidea (Skippers), Family Hesperidae. They are mostly "little brown jobs", but do have some striking exceptions. Back when I was collecting , we called them the "rats of the b'fly world" ...little brown things that just dart to and fro'. They can be very difficult to ID down to the species.

I noticed there are only 2 entries in our own AW butterfly book, which should tell you something about their popularity with both collectors and photographers However, they do have interesting patterns if you're into drab brown things. The bfly equivalent of LBJs in the birder world.

I do have quite a number in my collection, but will spare you the images, as they're all dead

Very interesting, Ex!

Thank you Ex. It looked Skipperish to me too.