March/April 2019

May’s edition of African Butterfly News is being circulated a bit earlier than usual, as I will be awayfrom 25 April to 15 May. If anyone has any photographs or trip reports from late April, please sendthem to me (jchdobson@gmail.com) and they will be included in July’s newsletter.

While butterfly numbers do seem a little better than last year (refer to BUTTERFLY INDEX), it’sbeen another tough season with no sightings whatsoever of two of our Critically Endangered species, the Waterberg Copper (Erikssonia edgei) and Brenton Blue (Orachrysops niobe). I have asense that our night-flying lepidoptera are faring even worse, possibly a result of light pollution, inaddition to the other damaging influences.On a more positive note, there have been some good records from KwaZulu-Natal in recentmonths, such as the Deceptive Diadem (Hypolimnas deceptor deceptor) and Bicoloured ParadiseSkipper (Abantis bicolor) from Krantzkloof, Millar’s Buff (Deloneura millari millari) from Fawn Leasand Zulu Buff (Teriomima zuluana) from Manguzi. In addition, a new locality for Atlantic YellowSkolly (Thestor dicksoni malagas) was found at Jacob’s Bay (refer to REGIONAL ROUNDUP).