Green-Veined Emperor

Green-Veined Emperor

Charaxes candiope

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Nairobi

In 3 days ~60% in a week ~90%

33 Verified sightings at Nairobi
73 In all 7 parks From 2019 to 2026
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Green-Veined Emperor

Charaxes candiope, the green-veined emperor or green-veined charaxes, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is common in sub-Saharan Africa. The habitat is forest and savanna excluding arid savanna. It also occurs in gardens and agricultural areas. Notes on the biology of candiope are given by Pringle et al. (1994), Larsen, T.B. (1991), Larsen, T.B. (2005) and Kielland, J. (1990).

Flight period is from October to June. The wingspan is 45–55 mm in males and 50–60 mm in females. The basic colour of the upperside wings is tawny or orange tawny, with a basal area slightly paler or pale ochre yellow. The unscaled veins and the costal edge of forewing are green. The hindwings have a submarginal black band with a series of tawny ochreous or whitish interstitial spots. The undersides of the forewings are clayish, slightly ochreous, while the hindwings are sepia colour. Forewings are rather falcate, while the hindwings have two small tails protruding from the lower edge.

A full description is given by Walter Rothschild and Karl Jordan, 1900 Novitates Zoologicae volume 7:287-524. [1] page 364 et seq. (for terms see Novitates Zoologicae... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Waterberg Plateau Park 🇳🇦 Namibia
~40%
2 Nairobi National Park 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
3 Odzala-Kokoua National Park 🇨🇬 Republic of the Congo
~20%
4 Moremi Game Reserve 🇧🇼 Botswana
~10%
5 Masai Mara National Reserve 🇰🇪 Kenya
~10%
6 Kruger National Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%
7 iSimangaliso Wetland Park 🇿🇦 South Africa
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Nairobi 🇰🇪 Kenya
~20%
2 Harare 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe
~10%
3 Durban 🇿🇦 South Africa
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Green-Veined Emperor in Nairobi?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Green-Veined Emperor sighting in Nairobi on a given day, based on 33 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 12th most-seen of the 123 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Green-Veined Emperor in Nairobi?

January and August–October

In those months about 30% of wildlife watchers report a Green-Veined Emperor in Nairobi on a given day, against about 10% in March–April and December, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Green-Veined Emperor?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Green-Veined Emperor sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Nairobi the best place to see a Green-Veined Emperor?

Yes

Of the 3 cities where we can rate Green-Veined Emperor sightings, Nairobi has the highest daily chance: about 20%. Next come Harare (Zimbabwe, about 10%) and Durban (South Africa, about 10%).

Which relatives of the Green-Veined Emperor live in Nairobi?

Same genus: Charaxes

The closest relatives of the Green-Veined Emperor that you can see in Nairobi (genus Charaxes, Emperor Butterflies) are Blue-Spotted Charaxes (about 10%) and White-Barred Emperor (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Green-Veined Emperor sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Green-Veined Emperor is recorded against all the insects logged in Nairobi (33 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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