Acraea eponina

Small Orange Acraea
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Acraea
Species: A. eponina
Binomial name
Acraea eponina
(Cramer, 1780)
Synonyms

Acraea manjaca Boisduval, 1833
Hyalites eponina (Cramer, 1780)
Papilio eponina Cramer, 1780
Telchinia perrupta Butler, 1883

The Orange Acraea (Acraea eponina), also called Small Orange Acraea to distinguish it from the larger A. anacreon, is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is found in tropical Africa and south-western Arabia.

The wingspan is 35–40 mm for males and 36–44 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round, but are more common in warmer months.[1]

Natural enemies include the parasitoids Carcelia normula and Charops species and the predacious bugs Afrius figuratus, Rhynocoris bicolor and other Rhynocoris species.

The larvae of ssp. eponina feed on Hibiscus, Sida, Nicotiana, Hermannia, and Triumfetta species. Ssp. manjaca has been reported on Triumfetta rhomboidea, Triumfetta annua, Triumfetta effusa, Triumfetta pilosa and Hermannia species.

Subspecies

Taxonomy

Acraea eponina is a member of the Acraea bonasia species group see Acraea.

References

  1. Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.
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External links