Noble butterfly

Noble butterfly

We are delighted that Volker and Silvia Schoenen have taken over the sponsorship of the noble butterfly (Hypolimnas salmacis).

There is no German name for this member of the Nymphalidae family. In English, the butterfly with the beautiful blue, black and white markings is known as the "Blue Diadem". Only the males have the broad, shimmering blue bands, which are often interspersed with white traces - the females have white bands, which can fade into blue at the edges.

The butterflies, which are widespread in the rainforests from Sierra Leone to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, have a wingspan of around 8 cm. The males can often be seen involved in fights with other large butterflies. On cloudy days, the butterflies like to rest under leaves near the ground, where they are often startled by travellers.