Acraea esebria

Dusky Acraea
Acraea esebria forma monteironis
Orange form male mating with female of another colour form.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Tribe:	Acraeini
Genus:	Acraea
Species:	A. esebria
Binomial name
Acraea esebria Hewitson, 1861
Synonyms
Telchinia esebria (Hewitson, 1861) Planema jacksoni Sharpe, 1890 Acraea (Actinote) esebria Acraea protea Trimen, 1862 Planema metaprotea Butler, 1874 Planema monteironis Butler, 1874 Planema arctifascia Butler, 1874 Planema pseudoprotea Butler, 1874 Planema amphiprotea Butler, 1874 Planema jacksoni Sharpe, 1890 Acraea ertli Aurivillius, 1904 Acraea esebria f. nubilata Eltringham, 1912 Acraea jodutta f. inaureata Eltringham, 1912 Acraea esebria f. kibwezia Strand, 1913 Acraea esebria var. actinotis Neustetter, 1916 Acraea esebria f. swynnertoni O’Neal, 1919 Acraea esebria f. victoris Poulton, 1927 Acraea esebria f. flavibrunnea Stoneham, 1943 Acraea esebria f. pallidibrunnea Stoneham, 1943

The Dusky Acraea (Acraea esebria) is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family from southern and eastern Africa.

Side view of mating pair

Description

The Dusky Acraea is a variable species, but the most common form is black with a white band across the forewing and a white patch on the lower forewing and on the hindwing.^[1] There are a number of described morphs (with white, yellow or orange patches) including:

• f. ertli
• f. esebria
• f. protea (black with creamy-yellow patches)
• f. monteironis (black with white patches)
• f. jacksoni

The wingspan is 45–55 mm for males and 53–60 mm for females. Males and females both show the same range of colouration.^[1]

Distribution

This species is found from the Eastern Cape of South Africa to Zimbabwe and in Mozambique,^[1] Malawi, Zambia, southern Democratic Republic of the Congo (Shaba), Angola, Tanzania and eastern Kenya (east of the Rift Valley).

Life cycle

Eggs

The eggs are oval in shape.^[2]

Larvae

The larvae feed on Urtica, Laportea peduncularis, Urera trinervis, Urera hypselodendron, Obetia tenax, Pouzolzia procridioides, Pouzolzia parasitica and Fleurya mitis.^[3]

Adults

Adults are on wing year round but are more common in the warmer months,^[3] from December to April.^[1] These butterflies fly slowly in and around forests, and feed from flowers.^[1]

Gallery

• 

  Eggs hatching on Laportea peduncularis

• 

  Dusky Acraea larva on human finger

References

1. Williams, M. (1994). Butterflies of Southern Africa: A Field Guide. Southern Book Publishers. ISBN 1-86812-516-5.
2. Woodhall, S. (2008). What's that Butterfly?. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. ISBN 978-1-77007-486-6.
3. Woodhall, S. (2005) Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Struik Publishers, Cape Town. ISBN 1-86872-724-6.

External links

• Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 57 c form protea d amphiprotea, pseudoprotea, jacksoni, metaprotea, monteironis
• Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 59 d inaureata
• Images representing Acraea esebria at Bold
• Acraea esebria at Pteron