Acraea perenna explained

Acraea perenna, the falcate acraea, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae which is native to the African tropics and subtropics.

Range

It is found in Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia.[1]

Description

A. perenna Dbl. and Hew. (54 e) is distinguished by the long, narrow forewing, with the termen emarginate, almost exactly the same shape as in Papilio antimachus; the discal dots are large and on the hindwing are placed near the base of their cellules (the one in 3 seems to be always absent); forewing above black with yellow-red hindmarginal spot, which covers the middle of cellules 1a to 2, beneath lighter, at the distal margin broadly yellowish with black veins and stripes on the interneural folds. Hindwing above black nearly to the discal dots, then with red transverse band and at the distal margin with black, red-spotted marginal band, beneath much lighter, at the base greenish yellow with free dots and some red spots or stripes close to the base; marginal band as above. Larva black with yellow spots; head and spines black. Sierra Leone to Angola, Uganda and Nairobi.

Subspecies

Biology

The habitat consists of forests and forest-savanna mosaic in hilly country.

It is thought to be the main mimicry model for Graphium ridleyanus.

The larvae feed on Kolobopetalum chevalieri, Olobopetalum, Mikania (including M. saggitifera), Bridelia (including B. micrantha), Adenia and Urera species.

Taxonomy

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

External links

Notes and References

  1. Metomorphosis. Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society of Africa. Lepidopterists' Society of Africa. 21. 1. March 2010. 864847323.
  2. Aurivillius, [P. O.] C. 1908-1924. In: Seitz, A. Die Großschmetterlinge der Erde Band 13: Abt. 2, Die exotischen Großschmetterlinge, 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