Amauris ochlea
The Novice is a foul-tasting butterfly that flies slowly and settles often on flowers and wilting plants. It inhabits forests and dense woodlands and the edges of these. Adults have a wingspan of 7cm and are on the wing throughout the year. In South Africa it is common along the Kwazulu-Natal coast and adjacent interior as well as in the Lowveld and escarpment of Mpumalanga and Limpopo.
The Deceptive Diadem (Hypolimnas deceptor) mimics the Novice in appearance and thus avoids predators.
Novice (Amauris ochlea)
Novice (Amauris ochlea)
Novice butterfly
Novice butterflies
Novice butterflies
Novice butterflies
Novice butterfly
Novice butterfly
Novice butterflies
Novice butterfly
Novice butterfly
Novice butterfly (photo by Joubert)
Novice butterflies (photo by Joubert)
Novice butterflies (photo by Joubert)
Novice butterfly
Novice butterfly (photo by Joubert)
Novice Butterfly
Novice Butterfly
Novice Butterfly
Novice Butterfly
DeWetsWild 
What a lovely collection of photos.
Thank you very much, Carol!
When does it stop being a novice and start being a professional??? 🙂
janet
Butterflies have such wonderful names sometimes! Others in this same family have names like “Layman”, “Friar” and “Chief” – sounds like a small village!
Pragtige skoenlapper! Wonder wie het aan een geproe? 😀
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Ek sou hoop iemand het hul kat of hond se reaksie gesien na die een van hierdie skoenlappers gehap het, eerder as om self te geproe het!
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Hoop ook so😀
How nice. Lovely gallery!
Thanks very much, PJB
I laugh at the reactions you have had so far – my first thought was to ask if you had tried them on a sandwich. Strange people that we all are! These are very beautiful photographs. I take my hat off to you!
Anne, I’m starting to think that perhaps I should bite the bullet, or is it butterfly!?
Stick to butter – peanut butter is even better 🙂
I agree, no bitter after taste… 🙂
Janee, ek het ook gewonder of julle geproe het, Dries!
Ek sal dit nooit oor my hart kry nie, Tannie Frannie! 😀
Excuse me, D. Please check the wing span of this butterfly ( millimeters). Nice post. 🙂
Thanks for that, H.J!
Lovely images, I was picturing the first guy to taste them too! Must have been hungry to try butterflies, perhaps he thought they would taste like butter.
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The whole family the Novice belong to are bad tasting owing to the plants they feed on.
Ah! They say you are what you eat, maybe the first guy that ate one wanted to be a beautiful butterfly! LOL.
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A foul-tasting butterfly? You’ve eaten them? Beautiful photos, Joubert.
No, thanks Lois – we’ll accept the word of the eminently more qualified butterfly researchers!
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haha! Whew! Thanks, Dries.