SUMMARY
On 29 Nov 2025, I found a group of 12 Variegated Butterfly Bats (Glauconycteris variegata) day-roosting in a Mahogany tree (Trichilia species) on the outskirts of Saint Lucia town (KwaZulu‑Natal Province, South Africa). I checked the site again on 4 Dec and 5 Dec 2025 and they were still using the same tree.
iNaturalist (2 Mar 2026) shows only 12 photographic records across Africa, with none in South Africa. The nearest photographic record in iNat is 1,100 km to the north, in central Mozambique. GBIF (2 Mar 2026) shows 9 records in South Africa, all without images, and they refer to preserved specimens of which the most recent record is from 1988 (37 years ago). Only three of these GBIF records are georeferenced, and all three are within 70 km of this Saint Lucia record. The images here appear to be the first published images of roosting Butterfly Bats in South Africa.
Paul Carter: paulcarter@pacapix.com
Posted: 2026 May 7
1. Saint Lucia records (2025)
The three observations below are of the same group over a seven-day period in Saint Lucia (KwaZulu-Natal Province). They were always in the same tree (28.382411°S, 32.411472°E) on the grounds of the KZN Nature Conservation Office. The tree is either a Natal Mahogany (Trichilia emetica) or a Forest Mahogany (Trichilia dregeana), as posted at iNat here.
Sighting #1: 29 Nov 2025 at 5:15 PM. I found these bats two hours after a heavy mid-afternoon storm. They were all day-roosting on a Mahogany (Trichilia) tree, on the outside of the tree hanging amongst the outer leaves. They were all about 5 to 8 meters above the ground and spread over an approximately 4m x 5m area. None of the bats seemed to be more than one meter away from any other bat.
I photographed 9 individuals but from visual estimates I estimated that there were at least 12. My count was done with thermal equipment, and the identification of the furthest bats was not confirmed. The next two sightings, in early December, confirmed 12 individuals. Two pairs of adults were hanging together (two sets of two). The remaining adults and the three juveniles (grey form) were all hanging individually. The group may have been spread out because of the earlier storm, and not in a tight cluster as seen five days later.
This sighting was about two hours before sunset whilst thermal-scoping in the cool conditions after the storm. I returned at sunset and the adults flew off individually at around 30 to 45 minutes after sunset. The juveniles stayed behind for at least for the next 15 minutes (at which point I left). iNat post here.
Sighting #2: 4 Dec 2024 at 8:20 AM. The 12 bats were hanging in one tight cluster. Images show 9 adults (yellow form) and 3 juveniles (grey form). They were about 4.5 meters off the ground. iNat post here.
Sighting #3: 5 Dec 2025 at 9:00 AM. The 12 bats were again hanging in one cluster. Images show 9 adults and 3 juveniles, likely the same 12 individuals seen the previous day. They were about 4.5 meters off the ground. iNat post here.
Images:
2. Records of G. variegata in South Africa
The subspecies in South Africa is G. v. variegata (Tomes, 1861). This Saint Lucia record is close to the extreme southern limit of its range.
HMW9 reports the range of G. variegata as “widely but patchily distributed throughout much of sub-Saharan Africa, from Atlantic coast of Senegal E to Ethiopia and S to NE Namibia, N Botswana, and NE South Africa”.
iNaturalist (2 Mar 2026) shows only 12 photographic records across Africa, including 5 records in Southern Africa but none in South Africa or Zimbabwe. The nearest iNat record with an image (https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49003655) is an in-flight image by Piotr Naskrecki in central Mozambique at Chironde, Cheringoma, which is about 1,100 km north of St Lucia.
GBIF (2 Mar 2026) shows 9 records in South Africa, all without images. These records refer to preserved specimens, and the most recent record is from 1988 (37 years prior to this record). Only three of these records are georeferenced and all three are within 70 km of Saint Lucia. Other records include the Kruger National Park.
Monadjem et al (2020) in their point map appears to show four sites along the KwaZulu-Natal coast as well as the Pafuri area in the Kruger National Park.
3. Roosting Behaviour
Published accounts do not mention any group sizes greater than 12 bats. This Saint Lucia record appears to be a large group for the species.
Monadjem et al (2010 p414 and 2020 p498) noted that the species “roosts singly or in pairs in dense foliage. Rautenbach et al. 1979)” and that “In Zimbabwe, Obrist et al. (1989) recorded a group of eight individuals roosting within the foliage of a Natal mahogany (Trichilia emetica) about 7.5 m above the ground”.
HMW9 notes that during the day it “roosts mainly in dense clusters of leaves in trees”, and that it is known to roost alone, in pairs, or in groups of 3-12 individuals.
Stuart and Stuart (2015) show images of roosting bats but the location is not mentioned.
4. References and Links
- GBIF / Glauconycteris variegata: https://www.gbif.org/species/4266156
- GBIF / Glauconycteris variegata / South Africa: https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/search?country=ZA&taxon_key=4266156
- HMW9: Wilson DE, Mittermeier RA (2019): Vespertilionidae. In: Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 9 Bats. Species account of Glauconycteris variegata: p831. Barcelona: Lynx Edicions: 716-981, ISBN: 978-84-16728-19-0. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6397752.
- iNaturalist / Glauconycteris variegata: https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/57549-Glauconycteris-variegata
- iNaturalist / Trichilia emetica (Natal Mahagony): https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/595643-Trichilia-emetica
- Monadjem A, Taylor PJ, Cotterill FPD, Schoeman MC (2010). Bats of Southern and Central Africa: a biogeographic and taxonomic synthesis. University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. Species account of Glauconycteris variegata: p414.
- Monadjem A, Taylor PJ, Cotterill F, Schoeman MC (2020). Bats of Southern and Central Africa: A biogeographic and taxonomic synthesis, 2nd edition. pp640. Species account of Glauconycteris variegata: p498. Wits University Press. ISBN-10:1776145828. https://doi.org/10.18772/22020085829 .
- Stuart C, Stuart M (2015). Stuarts’ Field Guide to Mammals of Southern Africa including Angola, Zambia and Malawi. Struik Nature. Species account of Glauconycteris variegata: p98.
iNat posts:
29 Nov: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/359150259
4 Dec: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/359151369
5 Dec: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/359152771