Mimacraea marshalli

Mimacraea marshalli
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Mimacraea
Species: M. marshalli
Binomial name
Mimacraea marshalli
Trimen, 1898[1]
Synonyms
  • Mimacraea marshalli media Talbot, 1937
  • Mimacraea marshalli nzoia Talbot, 1937
  • Mimacraea dohertyi Rothschild, 1901
  • Mimacraea marshalli dohertyi f. somereni Talbot, 1937

Mimacraea marshalli, Marshall’s Acraea Mimic, is a butterfly in the Lycaenidae family. It is found in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Zambia and Zimbabwe.[2] The habitat consists of Brachystegia woodland in hilly country at altitudes ranging from 1,200 to 1,700 metres, as well as open woodland.

Adults feed from the secretions of scale insects (Coccoidea species). They were noted to stroke the insects with their antennae while feeding from their secretions. Adults are on wing from October to May.

The larvae feed on dark, blue-green (or black) algae (Cyanophyta) growing on tree trunks. They are brown, densely hairy and very mobile.

Subspecies

References

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