Western Cape Autumn Widow 

The Western Cape Autumn Widow (Wes-Kaapse Herfsnooientjie) flutters about in the fynbos only in March and April. It is confined to the south-western Cape coastal regions and there are plenty to be seen in Rooiels. They appear to be black, but if one lands on your hand, you will see it is brown and has beautiful blue dots, orange circles and splashes of yellow. The male and female butterflies frequent grasses. One thing leads to another as they frolic in the kikuyu or buffalo grass and soon the females do some low-flying over the grass to scatter their eggs. When the larvae hatch, they feed on the grass at night. During the daytime, they hide, for birds like the rock thrush, fiscal flycatcher and wagtail would keep an eye open for them. After about a year, they crawl into a grass tuft, where they morph into pupae. In Autumn they appear as beautiful fluttering butterflies.
The Western Cape Autumn Widow (Wes-Kaapse Herfsnooientjie) flutters about in the fynbos only in March and April. It is confined to the south-western Cape coastal regions and there are plenty to be seen in Rooiels.
They appear to be black, but if one lands on your hand, you will see it is brown and has beautiful blue dots, orange circles and splashes of yellow.
The male and female butterflies frequent grasses. One thing leads to another as they frolic in the kikuyu or buffalo grass and soon the females do some low-flying over the grass to scatter their eggs.
When the larvae hatch, they feed on the grass at night. During the daytime, they hide, for birds like the rock thrush, fiscal flycatcher and wagtail would keep an eye open for them.
After about a year, they crawl into a grass tuft, where they morph into pupae.
In Autumn they appear as beautiful fluttering butterflies. 

They appear to be black, but if one lands on your hand, you will see it is brown and has beautiful blue dots, orange circles and splashes of yellow.
The male and female butterflies frequent grasses. One thing leads to another as they frolic in the kikuyu or buffalo grass and soon the females do some low-flying over the grass to scatter their eggs.
When the larvae hatch, they feed on the grass at night. During the daytime, they hide, for birds like the rock thrush, fiscal flycatcher and wagtail would keep an eye open for them.
After about a year, they crawl into a grass tuft, where they morph into pupae.
In Autumn they appear as beautiful fluttering butterflies.