Garden Commodore
Precis archesia
During the dry winter season, adults enter reproductive diapause and shelter under rock overhangs, where their dead-leaf underside pattern renders them virtually invisible.
- Scientific name
- Precis archesia
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Lepidoptera › Nymphalidae › Precis
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- stable
- Biome
- grassland
- Habitat
- Rocky ridges, bushveld savanna, woodland clearings, and grassy hillsides
- Diet
- Adults feed on flower nectar, sap, and moisture from damp soil; caterpillars consume leaves of Lamiaceae plants such as Plectranthus and Pycnostachys.
- Range
- South Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Kenya, Tanzania, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Size
- 45–60 mm wingspan
- Lifespan
- 1–5 months
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Habitat alteration from overgrazing and frequent burning of grassland habitats
- Safe to approach?
- The Garden Commodore is completely harmless to humans, having no venom, sting, or capability to bite. It can be observed closely when feeding or sunning on low vegetation or rocks. No special precautions or medical treatments are necessary.
Precis archesia , the garden inspector or garden commodore , is a species of butterfly in the Nymphalidae family, native to Subsaharan Africa.
Photo: malanfcm, CC-BY, via iNaturalist
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