About Lachnoptera ayresii Trimen, 1879
Lachnoptera ayresii, commonly called the eastern blotched leopard, is a butterfly species that belongs to the Nymphalidae family. It inhabits Afromontane and riverine forests. Its range extends from Port St. Johns in the Eastern Cape, along the escarpment through the KwaZulu-Natal midlands, Eswatini, Mpumalanga, and the Wolkberg in Limpopo, continuing northward into Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Males of this species have a wingspan measuring 45–52 mm, while females have a wingspan of 50–56 mm. Adult butterflies are active throughout the year, with their population peaking in late summer and autumn, between January and June. The larvae of Lachnoptera ayresii feed on Rawsonia lucida and plants from the Vismia genus.
