Acraea excelsior explained

Acraea excelsior is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Kenya and Tanzania.^[1]

Description

A. excelsior E. Sharpe (56 a) nearly approaches the preceding species [''[[Acraea goetzei]] and is quite similarly marked above, but has the median band of the hindwing and the subapical band of the forewing light lemon-yellow and the hindmarginal spot of the fore wing also margined with light yellowish. The under surface of the hindwing only differs in having the marginal band deeper black without light lines on the veins, while the black basal and discal dots of cellules 1 a to 1 c form a red-spotted patch and those of cellules 5 to 7 a sharp, red-centred triangle. Nyassaland; German and British East Africa. ^[2]

Subspecies

• Acraea excelsior excelsior (central Kenya, southern Tanzania)
• Acraea excelsior usambarae Jackson, 1951 (Tanzania: north-east to the Usambara Mountains)

Biology

The larvae feed on Triumfetta macrophylla.

Taxonomy

Acraea excelsior is a member of the Acraea bonasia species group; see Acraea.

See also Pierre & Bernaud, 2014 ^[3]

External links

• Images representing Acraea excelsior usambarae at Bold
• Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 56 a

Notes and References

1. Web site: Afrotropical Butterflies: Nymphalidae - Tribe Acraeini . 2012-06-05 . 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