''Issoria hanningtoni'', the Hannington's fritillary, is a

butterfly Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

in the family

Nymphalidae The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species ha ...

. It is found in

Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

and

Tanzania Tanzania, officially the United Republic of Tanzania, is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It is bordered by Uganda to the northwest; Kenya to the northeast; the Indian Ocean to the east; Mozambique and Malawi to t ...

.Afrotropical Butterflies: Nymphalidae - Tribe Argynnini
/ref> The habitat consists of highland forests.

Description

The upperside of the wings is pale orange with strong blackish brown markings, the underside has silvery spots, common to many fritillaries.

Ecology

The caterpillars feed on '' Viola abyssinica''.

Habitat

Hannington's fritillary can be found in montane forest above about 1,700 m.

Behaviour

Hannington's fritillary has a low down, fast and direct flight. It prefers open forest glades, where it is often not uncommon. The silver spots on the underside of the wings may be perceived by preditors as dew-drops on grass, mimicking the butterfly's favorite overnight resting place.

Subspecies

*''Issoria hanningtoni hanningtoni'' (northern Tanzania) *''Issoria hanningtoni imatonga'' (Riley, 1932) (Sudan: south to the Imatong Mountains) *''Issoria hanningtoni jeanneli'' Bernardi, 1968 (Kenya: highlands to Mount Elgon, Mount Kenya and Aberdares)

References

Butterflies described in 1889 Issoria Butterflies of Africa Taxa named by Henry John Elwes {{Heliconiinae-stub