Central African Republic: expedition to find Africa's largest butterfly Somewhere in the canopy of the forests of Central Africa hides the Papilio antimachus, Africa's largest butterfly, almost completely unknown to science. Since its discovery in 1782, no one has ever been able to observe the caterpillar and chrysalis of this poisonous butterfly, whose wingspan can reach 20 to 25 cm. To unravel this mystery, a privately funded French expedition of about twenty people took up residence for three weeks in the far south of the Central African Republic, on the banks of the Lobaye River. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES