Acraea violarum

Acraea violarum, the speckled red acraea, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in KwaZulu-Natal, Transvaal, Zimbabwe and southern Mozambique. It is a variable species with a number of described morphs including form violarum, form assimilis and form gracilis.

Acraea violarum
Figures 7 and 8
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Acraea
Species:
A. violarum
Binomial name
Acraea violarum
Synonyms
  • Acraea (Acraea) violarum
  • Acraea nataliensis Angas, 1849
  • Acraea violarum gracilis Wichgraf, 1909
  • Acraea violarum f. assimiliora Le Doux, 1922
  • Acraea violarum f. assimilis Le Doux, 1922
  • Acraea violarum f. dissimilis Le Doux, 1922
  • Acraea violarum f. aspectasema Le Doux, 1922

The wingspan is 40–48 mm for males and 43–55 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round, with a peak from July to November.[2]

The larvae feed on Basananthe sandersonii. Adults have been found feeding on flower nectar of Scabious species.

References
  1. "Acraea Fabricius, 1807" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.


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