Bug FAQWestern Hillside Brown
Stygionympha vigilans · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
The western hillside brown is a butterfly in the Nymphalidae family. Its wingspan measures about 45 to 48 mm. It lives on the seaward slopes of South African mountains from the Cederberg to the Cape Peninsula and along the Drakensberg to Grahamstown.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Stygionympha vigilans, called the western hillside brown, belongs to the butterfly family Nymphalidae.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
The adult’s wingspan ranges between 45 and 48 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits the windward sides of mountains in South Africa, from the Cederberg southward to the Cape Peninsula and the Drakensberg up to Grahamstown.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on grasses in the Poaceae family and have been raised on Ehrharta erecta and Ischyrolepsis cinncinnata.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
The species likely produces several generations each year.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Adults are on the wing from August through April, with peak activity in October-November and February.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its native range is limited to South Africa’s western and eastern Cape mountain regions.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see the western hillside brown butterfly?
You’ll most often spot adults between August and April, especially in October-November and February.
Source: Wikipedia
What do the larvae of this butterfly eat?
The caterpillars feed on various grasses, including species of Poaceae, and can also develop on Ehrharta erecta and Ischyrolepsis cinncinnata.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does the western hillside brown live?
It is found on the seaward mountain slopes of South Africa, from the Cederberg down to the Cape Peninsula and along the Drakensberg to Grahamstown.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stygionympha_vigilans
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.