African Wildlife & Environment Issue 81

GARDENING FOR BIODIVERSITY

bird. Sunbirds are also insect-eaters with ants being popular, and caterpillars and moths especially important when chicks are being fed. Spiders taken out of their webs are high on the menu. C. orbiculat a is the larval food-plant of at least half- a-dozen different butterflies, including the Pale Ciliate Blue Anthene livida . Previously known as A. butleri

The long, slender flower-stalks grow up from the centre of the leaf cluster and bear an attractive head of waxy, drooping, bell-shaped, red to pink, sometimes even orange or pale yellow, flowers. Sunbirds, such as Malachite, Greater Double-collared and Southern Double-collared (previously known as Lesser Double-collared), find the conspicuous, brightly- coloured blooms irresistible and, because the source of their interest is relatively close to the ground, they can be observed by gardeners at close range. The two different Double-collared Sunbirds are often confused by the inexperienced, but a trained ear can easily distinguish them by their song: the voice of the Greater is louder and more striking, with notes that are more clearly articulated and do not run together as in the weaker more wispy call of the

Cotyledon orbiculata is one of the larval host-plants of the Pale Ciliate Blue butterfly Anthene livida . (Photograph S Woodhall.)

and by the common name Pale Hairtail, this butterfly has the word ‘ciliate’ in its current name because of its little wing tails made of bunched up cilia, which are a fine fringe of small hairs (modified scales). Small white eggs are laid on the underside of the plant before slug-like green caterpillars, with teeth- like ridges on the back, burrow into the fleshy food supply. Following pupation, which is usually on the under surface of a leaf or sometimes on a stem near the ground, the pretty little bluish butterfly emerges. Although it does prefer hilly terrain, the Pale Ciliate Blue may be seen by observant gardeners across South Africa, except in the far west of the country. However, the easiest butterflies to attract with C. orbiculata are the Plain Black-eye Leptomyrina henningi , for inland gardeners, and the Lilac-based Black-eye L. gorgias for those closer to the eastern coast. (These butterflies were known before as Henning’s Black- eye and Common Black-eye respectively.) Neither of these species occurs naturally in the south western part of the country where they are replaced by the Cape Black-eye L. lara . Although the pretty Lilac- based Black-eye L. gorgias is sometimes nicknamed

smaller cousin.The Greater does not pierce the base of flowers as readily as does the Southern, because its larger, more robust and less curved bill allows it to reach the ‘goodies’ inside trumpet-shaped flowers more easily. Pricking the petals of a flower to reach nectar has, on occasion, had tragic consequences when they have been those of the exotic Rubber Tree Manihot carthaginensis. This alien from Brazil is found in some gardens often having been transplanted from an indoor container. The accumulation of latex ingested eventually forms a congealed ball in the stomach, causing the demise of the unsuspecting The beautiful Scarlet-chested Sunbird is one of many nectar-eaters attracted to the blooms of Cotyledon orbiculata. (Photograph H Chittenden.)

41 | African Wildlife & Environment | Issue 81 (2022)