Acraea doubledayi explained

Acraea doubledayi is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, Somalia, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.[1]

Description

thumb|left|200px|Figures 1 and 2A. doubledayi Guer. (= gaekwari E. Sharpe) (55 e) may be easily known by the shape of the marginal band of the hindwing, the red-brown ground-colour of the upper surface and the strongly developed black markings, as well as by the small light or transparent spots in 4 to 6 of the fore wing behind the discal dots; under surface of the hindwing reddish yellow with large whitish marginal spots. In the type-form the forewing above has a broad black marginal band, which is formed by the union of the black submarginal streaks with the veins and the marginal line, reaches the light subapical band and encloses yellow marginal spots; both wings above darkened at the base. Abyssinia and Somaliland. - female ab. candida Eltr. [female f. of ''[[Acraea sykesi]]] differs in the white ground-colour of both wings. Niam-Niam. - arabica Eltr. has the wings more densely scaled with whitish, but not transparent, subapical band on the forewing; the wings above not or scarcely darkened at the base. Arabia. sykesi E. Sharpe has the ground-colour on the upper surface lighter, on the forewing only separated by a black line from the distal margin; the broad black marginal band is consequently entirely absent and the black submarginal streaks in cellules 2 to 5 are placed free in the ground-colour; the light subapical band of the forewing is indistinct or entirely absent. German and British East Africa; Uganda and Soudan.[2]

Subspecies

Biology

The larvae feed on Adenia species.

Taxonomy

It is a member of the Acraea caecilia species group. See also Pierre & Bernaud, 2014.[3]

Etymology

The name honours Edward Doubleday

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Afrotropical Butterflies: Nymphalidae - Tribe Acraeini . 2012-06-01 . 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