Neptis saclava
| Spotted sailer | |
|---|---|
| N. s. saclava of Madagascar (above) and N. saclava marpessa (below) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Neptis |
| Species: | N. saclava |
| Binomial name | |
| Neptis saclava Boisduval, 1833 | |
| Synonyms | |
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Neptis saclava, the spotted sailer, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is native to Madagascar and to large areas of sub-Saharan Africa.
Its wingspan is 40–45 mm in males and 45–48 mm in females The hindwing beneath at the base with whitish ground-colour and numerous irregular light red-brown spots, more or less joined together; cell of the forewing above unicolorous or with small white dots, beneath white with irregular light red-brown markings; discal spot 4 of the forewing is absent or very small, dot-like; the hindmarginal spot of the forewing is. large and touches the spot in cellule 2 or is only narrowly separated from it; the median band of the hindwing is 4—-7 mm. in breadth. Madagascar Images BOLD
Adults are on the wing year round with a peak from December to May.
The larvae feed on Acalypha glabrata, Combretum bracteosum, Ricinus communis, Australina, and Pilea.