Bug FAQVariable Diadem
Hypolimnas anthedon · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
Males have a wingspan of about 75 to 80 mm and females about 74 to 90 mm. It lives throughout southern Africa and can be seen flying all year, with numbers peaking in late summer. Caterpillars feed on plants such as Fleurya, Urera camerooensis, Urtica and Berkheya.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The species shows a lot of variation and includes four recognized subspecies.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Males measure 75 to 80 mm across the wings, while females range from 74 to 90 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found in southern Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Larvae eat Fleurya species, Urera camerooensis, Urtica and Berkheya.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing throughout the year, with a peak in late summer.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Flight activity occurs year-round, strongest in late summer.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its distribution is limited to southern Africa.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
There are four subspecies and many morphs, making identification variable.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypolimnas_anthedon
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-23 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.