Pseudacraea boisduvali

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Boisduval's false acraea
Pseudacraeaboisduvali.jpg
Scientific classification
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P. boisduvali
Binomial name
Pseudacraea boisduvali
(Doubleday, 1845)[1]
Synonyms
  • Diadema boisduvalii Doubleday, 1845
  • Pseudacraea trimenii Butler, 1874
  • Pseudacraea boisduvali f. beatricia Stoneham, 1965
  • Pseudacraea boisduvali f. westwoodi Stoneham, 1965
  • Pseudacraea boisduvali f. marsabitensis Carpenter and Jackson, 1950
  • Pseudacraea colvillei Butler, 1884
  • Pseudacraea boisduvali var. deficiens Karsch, 1897

Pseudacraea boisduvali, or Boisduval's false acraea, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in most of Africa, except the north-western quarter.

Description[]

The wingspan is 65–70 mm for males and 75–88 mm for females. A large and most beautiful species. As in hostilia, the hindwing is yellow- red to red-yellow with black, red-spotted marginal band, but that of boisduvali has in the basal part large rounded black spots. Fore wing in the distal part more or less semitransparent with thick black longitudinal streaks between the veins, at least in cellules 2 and 3; the black spots in the basal half are large and rounded and are present both in the cell and in cellules la—-2; it should be specially noted that one of these spots is placed on vein 2. The species is considerably larger than Acraea egina , but mimics it almost exactly and has also local races corresponding to those of egina.

Biology[]

Adults are on wing year round, with a peak from January to May.[2]

The larvae feed on Chrysophyllum, Mimusops (including and M. zeyheri), and Englerophytum (including E. magalismontanum and E. natalense).

Subspecies[]

Mimicry[]

Pseudacraea boisduvali is, with Acraea egina and Graphium ridleyanus, a member of a mimicry complex.

References[]

  1. ^ "Pseudacraea Westwood, [1850]" 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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