The habitats of this species mainly consists of dry forests and savannah, but it also prefers clearings and open areas in the rainforest.
Descriptionedit
The wingspan of Acraea egina can reach 60–65 millimetres (2.4–2.6 in). Wings are basically brick red, with black spots on both forewings and hindwings and a quite large black margin on the hindwing upperside. These butterflies are closely mimicked by Pseudacraea boisduvali and by Graphium ridleyanus in the shade of color, in the cut of the wings and in the pattern of markings.
The larvae of Acraea egina are whitish with black rings and black tubercules, while the pupae are pinkish brown. They feed on Adenia lobata and Rawsonia species.
A. egina Cr. (54 d) is much larger than perenna and has the wings quite differently shaped, but is very similarly coloured in the male. In this sex the forewing is blackish, in the middle somewhat transparent, and has at the hinder angle in 1 a and 1 b a large yellow-red spot, which, however, does not extend beyond vein 2; hindwing above black at least as far as vein 2, then with broad yellow-red transverse band and broad, unspotted black marginal band, somewhat dentate at the veins, the discal dot in 4 placed nearer to the distal margin than the rest. Fore wing beneath almost as above, but lighter and more thinly scaled; hind wing beneath light reddish with red spots at the base and at the marginal band and between the large, free black dots more or less greenish yellow; marginal spots large, quadrate, greenish yellow; collar red; last half of the abdomen light yellow. In the female the ground-colour of both wings is black grey without red-yellow spots, but with an indefinite whitish subapical band on the forewing.
Larva whitish yellow with two black longitudinal lines on each side; head and spines black. Pupa whitish with very fine black markings. Senegal to Angola, Nyassaland and Uganda.
harrisoni E. Sharpe. In the borderlands between the West and East African subregions there usually occur also in this species transitions to the East African race. These are distinguished by having the red-yellow colour of the forewing present not only in 1 a and 1 b, but also as fine longitudinal streaks first in 2 and then also in the other cellules; the under surface of the hindwing is for the most part suffused with orange-yellow; the discal dots are sometimes as large as in egina, sometimes much smaller, particularly on the hindwing, ab. contraria Grunb. (= kiwuensis Grunb.). Rhodesia; Nyassaland and on the shores of the Victoria Nyanza.
areca Mab. (54 e) is the East African race and following the rule which obtains in almost all African Acraeids is characterized by having the red-yellow colour of the forewing more extended, more or less completely covering the cell and the base of cellules 2 to 6; the under surface of the hindwing is for the most part orange-yellow. In the female the ground-colour is more yellowish than in the type-form. South-East Rhodesia, Nyassaland, German and British East Africa.[4]
Subspeciesedit
Acraea egina egina — Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, Angola, Democratic Republic of the Congo, southern Sudan, Uganda, Ethiopia, western Kenya, northern Zambia
Acraea egina areca Mabille, 1889 — Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, eastern Zimbabwe, South Africa: Limpopo Province
Acraea egina harrisoni Sharpe, 1904 — coast of Kenya
^Cramer, P. [1775-1776]. De Uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de drie waereld-deelen Asia, Africa en America. Amsterdam & Utrecht. 1: [vi], xxx, 16 pp., 155 pp.
^"Acraea Fabricius, 1807" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
^. Archived from the original on 2012-08-10. Retrieved 2012-05-31.
^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. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
^ Pierre & Bernau, 2014 Classification et Liste Synonymique des Taxons du Genre Acraea pdf
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Acraea egina.
Wikispecies has information related to Acraea egina.
acraea, egina, elegant, acraea, species, butterfly, family, nymphalidae, with, extensive, range, saharan, africa, elegant, acraeathe, imago, egina, flightand, feeding, flower, ghanascientific, classificationdomain, eukaryotakingdom, animaliaphylum, arthropodac. Acraea egina the elegant acraea is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae with an extensive range in sub Saharan Africa Elegant acraeaThe imago of A e egina in flightand feeding at a flower GhanaScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ArthropodaClass InsectaOrder LepidopteraFamily NymphalidaeGenus AcraeaSpecies A eginaBinomial nameAcraea egina Cramer 1775 1 2 SynonymsPapilio egina Cramer 1775 Acraea Acraea egina Papilio rudolphina Herbst 1792 Papilio persephone Fabricius 1793 Acraea zidora Godart 1819 Acraea khara Grose Smith 1889 Acraea egina f contraria Grunberg 1910 Acraea egina f alba Eltringham 1913 Acraea egina intensa Stoneham 1937 Acraea egina f tenuimarginatus Stoneham 1937 Acraea egina f rubristriatus Stoneham 1937 Acraea egina bellehui Carcasson 1961 Acraea areca Mabille 1889 Acraea harrisoni Sharpe 1904 Contents 1 Distribution 2 Habitat 3 Description 4 Description in Seitz 5 Subspecies 6 Taxonomy 7 References 8 External linksDistribution editThis species can be found in Senegal Gambia Guinea Bissau Guinea Burkina Faso Sierra Leone Liberia Ivory Coast Ghana Togo Nigeria Cameroon Equatorial Guinea Gabon the Republic of the Congo the Central African Republic Angola the Democratic Republic of the Congo Sudan Uganda Ethiopia Kenya Tanzania Malawi Zambia Mozambique Zimbabwe and South Africa 3 Habitat editThe habitats of this species mainly consists of dry forests and savannah but it also prefers clearings and open areas in the rainforest Description editThe wingspan of Acraea egina can reach 60 65 millimetres 2 4 2 6 in Wings are basically brick red with black spots on both forewings and hindwings and a quite large black margin on the hindwing upperside These butterflies are closely mimicked by Pseudacraea boisduvali and by Graphium ridleyanus in the shade of color in the cut of the wings and in the pattern of markings The larvae of Acraea egina are whitish with black rings and black tubercules while the pupae are pinkish brown They feed on Adenia lobata and Rawsonia species Description in Seitz edit nbsp Imago mounted specimen nbsp Larva in Eltringham 1912 For a key to the terms used see Glossary of entomology terms A egina Cr 54 d is much larger than perenna and has the wings quite differently shaped but is very similarly coloured in the male In this sex the forewing is blackish in the middle somewhat transparent and has at the hinder angle in 1 a and 1 b a large yellow red spot which however does not extend beyond vein 2 hindwing above black at least as far as vein 2 then with broad yellow red transverse band and broad unspotted black marginal band somewhat dentate at the veins the discal dot in 4 placed nearer to the distal margin than the rest Fore wing beneath almost as above but lighter and more thinly scaled hind wing beneath light reddish with red spots at the base and at the marginal band and between the large free black dots more or less greenish yellow marginal spots large quadrate greenish yellow collar red last half of the abdomen light yellow In the female the ground colour of both wings is black grey without red yellow spots but with an indefinite whitish subapical band on the forewing Larva whitish yellow with two black longitudinal lines on each side head and spines black Pupa whitish with very fine black markings Senegal to Angola Nyassaland and Uganda harrisoni E Sharpe In the borderlands between the West and East African subregions there usually occur also in this species transitions to the East African race These are distinguished by having the red yellow colour of the forewing present not only in 1 a and 1 b but also as fine longitudinal streaks first in 2 and then also in the other cellules the under surface of the hindwing is for the most part suffused with orange yellow the discal dots are sometimes as large as in egina sometimes much smaller particularly on the hindwing ab contraria Grunb kiwuensis Grunb Rhodesia Nyassaland and on the shores of the Victoria Nyanza areca Mab 54 e is the East African race and following the rule which obtains in almost all African Acraeids is characterized by having the red yellow colour of the forewing more extended more or less completely covering the cell and the base of cellules 2 to 6 the under surface of the hindwing is for the most part orange yellow In the female the ground colour is more yellowish than in the type form South East Rhodesia Nyassaland German and British East Africa 4 Subspecies editAcraea egina egina Senegal Gambia Guinea Bissau Guinea Burkina Faso Sierra Leone Liberia Ivory Coast Ghana Togo Nigeria Cameroon Equatorial Guinea Gabon Congo Central African Republic Angola Democratic Republic of the Congo southern Sudan Uganda Ethiopia western Kenya northern Zambia Acraea egina areca Mabille 1889 Kenya Tanzania Malawi Mozambique eastern Zimbabwe South Africa Limpopo Province Acraea egina harrisoni Sharpe 1904 coast of Kenya Acraea egina pembanus Kielland 1990 PembaTaxonomy editIt is a member of the Acraea egina species group but see also Pierre amp Bernaud 2014 5 References edit Cramer P 1775 1776 De Uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de drie waereld deelen Asia Africa en America Amsterdam amp Utrecht 1 vi xxx 16 pp 155 pp Acraea Fabricius 1807 at Markku Savela s Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms Afrotropical Butterflies Nymphalidae Tribe Acraeini Archived from the original on 2012 08 10 Retrieved 2012 05 31 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 nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain Pierre amp Bernau 2014 Classification et Liste Synonymique des Taxons du Genre Acraea pdfExternal links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Acraea egina nbsp Wikispecies has information related to Acraea egina Images representing Acraea egina at Bold Images representing Acraea egina bellehui at Bold Acraea egina egina Archived 2020 01 27 at the Wayback Machine at Pteron Learn About Butterflies Mimicry in butterflies nbsp This Heliconiinae article is a stub You can help Wikipedia by expanding it vte Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Acraea egina amp oldid 1168129511, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
