A. penelope differs from the very similar species in the abbreviated streaks on the underside of the hindwing, which do not reach the distal margin; the cell of the forewing is sometimes unicolorous dark without spots, sometimes more or less diaphanous; the forewing in 1-6 with light or transparent spots, which are often united into a transverse band; the hindwing above at the base broadly darkened (occasionally in the females very slightly) and then with a red or red-yellow (occasionally light yellow) median band and broad black marginal band. The under surface of the hindwing is light coloured, usually yellowish, and has in the basal part the usual dots, 2 in cellule 7 and 1-3 in the cell. The species is very variable and the forms intergrade without any sharp dividing-line. - penelope Stgr. (57 b). Wings thickly scaled, ground-colour black; the spots in cellules 1-3 of the forewing small, free, rounded, red or reddish, the one in 3 often absent; those in cellules 4-6 are also small and form a sharply defined, whitish transparent subapical band; hindwing with narrow red median band, beneath light yellow with thick black streaks proximally often united on the veins. Specimens in which spots 1 b and 2 are larger, lighter and more or less transparent constitute transitions to the following forms. Congo and Uganda. - female -ab. argentea Eltr. Spots transparent and continuous, forming a transverse band, which, however, does not entirely cover the base of cellules 3-6; those in cellules 1 b and 2 proximally tinged with reddish; median band of the hindwing red-yellow, about 5 mm. in breadth; dark marginal band of the upper surface with distinct black longitudinal streaks; under surface except in the middle with silver-grey ground-colour. Uganda.- female -ab. exalbescens Eltr. resembles the type-form in pattern, but all the red markings are replaced by yellowish white and the marginal band on the upper surface is as broad as in argentea, 3–4 mm. Ground-colour of the under surface yellowish white. Uganda. -female ab. sulphurescens ab. nov. closely approaches the preceding form; spots 1 b and 2 of the forewing elongate-rounded, thinly scaled with yellowish, 3-6 diaphanous; median band of the hindwing above about 5 mm. in breadth, of exactly the same colour as in servona ; under surface coloured quite as in servona. Very like a small A. servona ; but the cell of the fore wing without light spot and the marginal streaks on the under surface abbreviated and distally pointed as in penelope. Uganda: Sesse Islands. female -ab. penella Eltr. Forewing above at the base reddish almost to the apex of the cell, then with a hyaline median band about 5 mm. in breadth, which, however, does not cover the base of cellules 4-6, so that there is a blackish spot at the end of the cell: marginal band black-brown, about 2 mm. in breadth. Hindwing above only narrowly darkened at the base and with narrow marginal band, only 2 mm. in breadth, the red-yellow median band consequently much widened, in the middle about 10mm. in breadth; hindwing beneath strongly suffused with reddish in the basal half and with much lighter median band. Uganda. - vitrea Eltr. Fore wing above black with sharply defined diaphanous transverse band about 4 mm. in breadth, which does not fully reach the base of cellules 2-6 and is tinged with reddish in 1 a and at the proximal side of the spots in 1 b and 2; the hindwing with red-yellow median band about 7 mm. in breadth and black marginal band about 2 mm.; under surface as in the type-form with the ground-colour light yellow. British East Africa. - derubescens Eltr. (57 b; as peneleos). Forewing above almost as in vitrea, the diaphanous spots, however, often reaching the base of cellules 2-6; hindwing with bright red median band, only 4.5 mm. in breadth, and black marginal band 5 mm. in breadth, hindwing beneath light greenish at the base and the distal margin, light yellow in the middle. Togoland. translucida. - translucida Eltr. (60 a) differs from the other forms in having the forewing diaphanous and only at the margins and the base narrowly blackish (male) or dark grey (female); hindwing in the almost as in the type-form, but with red-yellow median band 7 mm. in breadth, in the female very little darkened at the base and with grey marginal band, not sharply defined, hence almost the entire upper surface light reddish yellow. Lagos. [3]
Subspeciesedit
A. p. penelope (eastern Nigeria, Cameroon, Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, western Tanzania)
A. p. vitrea Eltringham, 1912 (Kenya: highlands west of the Rift Valley)
^"Acraea Fabricius, 1807" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
^. Archived from the original on 2012-08-10. Retrieved 2012-06-05.
^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. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
External linksedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Acraea penelope.
Wikispecies has information related to Acraea penelope.
Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 57 b
acraea, penelope, penelope, acraea, penelope, acraea, butterfly, family, nymphalidae, found, nigeria, cameroon, republic, congo, democratic, republic, congo, uganda, kenya, tanzania, habitat, consists, montane, forests, translucida, male, figure, derubescens, . Acraea penelope the Penelope acraea or Penelope s acraea is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae It is found in Nigeria Cameroon the Republic of the Congo the Democratic Republic of the Congo Uganda Kenya and Tanzania 2 The habitat consists of sub montane forests Acraea penelopeA p translucida male figure 4 A p derubescens figure 5 A p translucida female figure 6 A p vitrea figure 7Scientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ArthropodaClass InsectaOrder LepidopteraFamily NymphalidaeGenus AcraeaSpecies A penelopeBinomial nameAcraea penelopeStaudinger 1896 1 SynonymsAcraea Actinote penelope Acraea penelope f argentea Eltringham 1912 Acraea penelope f exalbescens Eltringham 1912 Acraea penelope f penella Eltringham 1912 Acraea penelope ab sulphurescens Aurivillius 1913 Acraea penelope f laeticolor Le Doux 1928 Acraea penelope penelope f josetta Jackson 1951 Contents 1 Description 2 Subspecies 3 Taxonomy 4 Etymology 5 References 6 External linksDescription editFor a key to the terms used see Glossary of entomology terms A penelope differs from the very similar species in the abbreviated streaks on the underside of the hindwing which do not reach the distal margin the cell of the forewing is sometimes unicolorous dark without spots sometimes more or less diaphanous the forewing in 1 6 with light or transparent spots which are often united into a transverse band the hindwing above at the base broadly darkened occasionally in the females very slightly and then with a red or red yellow occasionally light yellow median band and broad black marginal band The under surface of the hindwing is light coloured usually yellowish and has in the basal part the usual dots 2 in cellule 7 and 1 3 in the cell The species is very variable and the forms intergrade without any sharp dividing line penelope Stgr 57 b Wings thickly scaled ground colour black the spots in cellules 1 3 of the forewing small free rounded red or reddish the one in 3 often absent those in cellules 4 6 are also small and form a sharply defined whitish transparent subapical band hindwing with narrow red median band beneath light yellow with thick black streaks proximally often united on the veins Specimens in which spots 1 b and 2 are larger lighter and more or less transparent constitute transitions to the following forms Congo and Uganda female ab argentea Eltr Spots transparent and continuous forming a transverse band which however does not entirely cover the base of cellules 3 6 those in cellules 1 b and 2 proximally tinged with reddish median band of the hindwing red yellow about 5 mm in breadth dark marginal band of the upper surface with distinct black longitudinal streaks under surface except in the middle with silver grey ground colour Uganda female ab exalbescens Eltr resembles the type form in pattern but all the red markings are replaced by yellowish white and the marginal band on the upper surface is as broad as in argentea 3 4 mm Ground colour of the under surface yellowish white Uganda female ab sulphurescens ab nov closely approaches the preceding form spots 1 b and 2 of the forewing elongate rounded thinly scaled with yellowish 3 6 diaphanous median band of the hindwing above about 5 mm in breadth of exactly the same colour as in servona under surface coloured quite as in servona Very like a small A servona but the cell of the fore wing without light spot and the marginal streaks on the under surface abbreviated and distally pointed as in penelope Uganda Sesse Islands female ab penella Eltr Forewing above at the base reddish almost to the apex of the cell then with a hyaline median band about 5 mm in breadth which however does not cover the base of cellules 4 6 so that there is a blackish spot at the end of the cell marginal band black brown about 2 mm in breadth Hindwing above only narrowly darkened at the base and with narrow marginal band only 2 mm in breadth the red yellow median band consequently much widened in the middle about 10mm in breadth hindwing beneath strongly suffused with reddish in the basal half and with much lighter median band Uganda vitrea Eltr Fore wing above black with sharply defined diaphanous transverse band about 4 mm in breadth which does not fully reach the base of cellules 2 6 and is tinged with reddish in 1 a and at the proximal side of the spots in 1 b and 2 the hindwing with red yellow median band about 7 mm in breadth and black marginal band about 2 mm under surface as in the type form with the ground colour light yellow British East Africa derubescens Eltr 57 b as peneleos Forewing above almost as in vitrea the diaphanous spots however often reaching the base of cellules 2 6 hindwing with bright red median band only 4 5 mm in breadth and black marginal band 5 mm in breadth hindwing beneath light greenish at the base and the distal margin light yellow in the middle Togoland translucida translucida Eltr 60 a differs from the other forms in having the forewing diaphanous and only at the margins and the base narrowly blackish male or dark grey female hindwing in the almost as in the type form but with red yellow median band 7 mm in breadth in the female very little darkened at the base and with grey marginal band not sharply defined hence almost the entire upper surface light reddish yellow Lagos 3 Subspecies editA p penelope eastern Nigeria Cameroon Congo Democratic Republic of the Congo Uganda western Tanzania A p vitrea Eltringham 1912 Kenya highlands west of the Rift Valley Taxonomy editIt is a member of the Acraea circeis species group Etymology editNamed in the Classical tradition Penelope is a character in Homer s Odyssey References edit 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 06 05 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 nbsp This article incorporates text from this source which is in the public domain External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Acraea penelope nbsp Wikispecies has information related to Acraea penelope Die Gross Schmetterlinge der Erde 13 Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter Plate XIII 57 b Images representing Acraea penelope at Bold A p penelope Archived 2020 01 27 at the Wayback Machine at Pteron Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Acraea penelope amp oldid 1212844814, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
