Acraea baxteri explained

Acraea baxteri is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia.[1]

Description

A. baxteri E. Sharpe (54 a). Forewing entirely without black dots, in the basal part yellow-red to reddish as far as the apex of the cell and the middle of cellule 2, in the apical part blackish with three whitish, semitransparent spots in 4 to 6. The discal dots of the hindwing are all present, almost touch one another and stand in a curved row, which runs close to the apex of the cell; hindwing above black as far as the discal dots. Distal half yellow-red with narrow, unspotted, black marginal band; beneath in the basal part as far as the discal dots coffee-brown with distinct black dots, then reddish white and at the distal margin with rust-brown marginal band 3 mm. in breadth and black fringes. . Nyassaland, German and British East Africa. - ab.fuelleborni Thur. has the light subapical spots of the fore wing larger and the marginal band on the upperside of the hindwing about 2 mm. in breadth. Nyassaland. In ab. subsquamia Thur. the wings are more densely scaled and the red colour on the upperside of the hindwing extends nearly to the base of cellules 4 to 6. Usambara. [2]

Subspecies

Biology

The habitat consists of montane forests.

The larvae feed on Urera species.

Taxonomy

It is a member of the Acraea jodutta species group - but see also Pierre & Bernaud, 2014 [3]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Afrotropical Butterflies: Nymphalidae - Tribe Acraeini . 2012-06-04 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120810134550/http://atbutterflies.com/downloads/nymphalidae_acraeini.doc . 2012-08-10 . dead .
  2. Aurivillius, [P.O.]C. 1908-1924. In: Seitz, A. Die Grosschmetterlinge der Erde Band 13: Abt. 2, Die exotischen Grosschmetterlinge, Die afrikanischen Tagfalter, 1925, 613 Seiten, 80 Tafeln (The Macrolepidoptera of the World 13).Alfred Kernen Verlag, Stuttgart.
  3. Pierre & Bernau, 2014 Classification et Liste Synonymique des Taxons du Genre Acraea pdf