This is a truly beautiful species from Africa. Salamis parhassus, the Forest Mother of Pearl, is a large butterfly with an unmistakable appearance. In these butterflies, the wings are a pearly white base colour with an incredible rainbow-like sheen that can really only be appreciated in life. Breeding is not impossible in captivity with the correct conditions and host plants, with some reports of European breeders succeeding in greenhouse setups. The pupae are convincingly disguised as dead plant material, while caterpillars are similar to those of other species that feed on plants like Ruellia, e.g. Siproeta and Kallima. The natural host plant for this butterfly is reported to be Brillantaisia - Giant Sage - which is easily grown but requires winter protection. Caterpillars can be fed Ruellia and do very well on this.
Host plants: Brillantaisia, Ruellia
Difficulty: Easy (1/10)
Temperature: Room temp. or warmer
Lifecycle: Continually brooded; adults can be quite long lived
