Precis octavia
A summer form of Precis octavia © D Motshagen
Precis octavia, the gaudy commodore is an African butterfly that displays different wing patterns in summer and winter.
There are 2 subspecies of Precis octavia:
- the northern, P. octavia octavia, occurs from Sierra Leone to Somali
- the southern, P. octavia sesamus.
The southern subspecies of the gaudy commodore displays a seasonal variation in it’s wing patterning. Individuals emerging as adults in the warm summer appear different to those emerging in the cooler winters of the South African zone.
Species detail
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Seasonal variation
The southern subspecies of the gaudy commodore displays a seasonal variation in it’s wing pattern. Find out more about why this might be happening.
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Summer form
Discover the characteristics of the summer form of the gaudy commodore.
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Winter form
Learn more about the wing patterns of the winter form of the southern subspecies of the gaudy commodore.
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Intermediate forms
Find our more about rare intermediate forms and the intermediate nature of Precis octavia larvae.
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Distribution
The northern subspecies of Precis octavia occurs from Sierra Leone to Somali the southern in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.
