Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Nymphalidae Scientific name Telchinia esebria | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Tribe Acraeini Rank Species | |
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Similar Acraea, Acraea acrita, Acraea rahira, Acraea anacreon, Acraea serena | ||
Acraea esebria, the dusky acraea, is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family from southern and eastern Africa.
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Description
The dusky acraea is a variable species, but the most common form is black with a white band across the forewing and a white patch on the lower forewing and on the hindwing. There are a number of described morphs (with white, yellow or orange patches) including:
The wingspan is 45–55 mm for males and 53–60 mm for females. Males and females both show the same range of colouration.
Distribution
This species is found from the Eastern Cape of South Africa to Zimbabwe and in Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, southern Democratic Republic of the Congo (Shaba), Angola, Tanzania and eastern Kenya (east of the Rift Valley).
Eggs
The eggs are oval in shape.
Larvae
The larvae feed on Urtica, Laportea peduncularis, Urera trinervis, Urera hypselodendron, Obetia tenax, Pouzolzia procridioides, Pouzolzia parasitica and Fleurya mitis.
Adults
Adults are on wing year round but are more common in the warmer months, from December to April. These butterflies fly slowly in and around forests and feed from flowers.