Precis archesia, the garden inspector or garden commodore, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae, native to Subsaharan Africa.
Wingspan: 45–50 mm for males and 50–60 mm for females.
Flight period is year-round with two main broods from September to March and April to August.
Subspecies
P. a. archesia — Kenya, Tanzania, southern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Zambia to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Eswatini, South Africa: Limpopo Province, Mpumalanga, North West Province, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Eastern Cape Province, Western Cape Province to the south-east
Larval food plants include Plectranthus esculentus, Plectranthus fruticosus, Rabdosiella calycina, Pycnostachys reticulata, and Pycnostachys urticifolia.
Also known as the Garden Inspector butterfly.
Garden Commodore butterflies are indigenous to sub - Saharan Africa.
Their flight period is year-round with two main broods from September to March and April to August.
Their preferred terrain is the savannah, although they are now being found in deforested areas and gardens. Adult butterflies feed on flower nectar.
Precis archesia are medium sized butterflies with wingspans up to 6 cm. The ventral side ground color is black with white, pink, green, or blue spots and bands. The dorsal side may also have a brownish ground color. The wings often have eyespots. The outer wing margins are wavy and toothed or scalloped. Several species occur in multiple color forms (morphs). They tend to have distinct rainy season and dry season forms, that of the Gaudy Commodore being the most extreme. Transitional forms are also known.
It is generally believed that the temperature during the stage of pupal development determines the color form of the adults.
