Charaxes jasius

BUTTERFLY INFO

Charaxes jasius is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae on the island of Crete, Greece.

Scientific name

Charaxes jasius (Linnaeus, 1767)

Classification

Family: Nymphalidae > Subfamily: Charaxinae > Tribus: Charaxini > Genus: Charaxes

Common name

Two-tailed Pasha, Foxy Emperor

Wingspan

Male to female: 80-85 mm

Appearance

It’s one of the largest and most distinctive butterflies on the island. The uppersides of the wings are dark brown with orange margins and the hindwings bring two short tails, where there are a few blue markings.

The underside of the wings is reddish-brown with a series of darker bands edged with white or gray. The orange marginal band is also present on the undersides of the wings and it is preceded by a white transversal band.

Behavior

It flies very fast and powerfully and quickly disappears into bushes and trees, as it rather prefers the safety of trees. It rarely opens the wings and likes rotting fruits on the ground or on the trees; especially the second generation at the end of the summer.

Habitat

Charaxes jasius in Crete live in the forests and in the shrubland with Arbutus plants, olive groves, and river banks. The butterfly is typical for sparse forests or bushy slopes with pine, Erica, and Arbutus.

Food plant

The larva feeds on Ericaceae (Arbutus unedo, Arbutus andrachne).

Flight period

The butterfly flies in two generations per year.

Remarks

This butterfly is the only representative of the European species of the genus Charaxes.

It has a unique appearance in Crete and can’t be confused with other Nymphalidae butterflies of the island. It is quite difficult to spot this butterfly on the island, during any season.

Status*

Least Concern (LC)

(*European Red List of Butterflies, 2010)