Acraea rahira

Acraea rahira
Acraea rahira
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Tribe: Acraeini
Genus: Acraea
Species: A. rahira
Binomial name
Acraea rahira
Boisduval, 1833
Synonyms

Hyalites rahira (Boisduval, 1833)
Telchinia rahira (Boisduval, 1833)
Acraea rahira uasingishuensis Stoneham, 1943

The Marsh Acraea (Acraea rahira) is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is found in southern Africa. In South Africa it is found from the West Cape along the coast to the East Cape and KwaZulu-Natal, then inland to Mpumalanga, Gauteng, the Limpopo Province and the North West Province.

The wingspan is 35-40 mm for males and 40-50 mm for females. Adults are on wing year round in warmer areas, with a peak from September to April. In cooler areas it is only found in the hot summer months[1].

The larvae feed on Persicaria attenuata africana and Conyza canadensis.

Subspecies

  • Acraea rahira rahira (S.Africa, Zimbabwe, Mozambique to Malawi, southern Tanzania, Zambia, southern Zaire (Shaba), Angola, western Kenya, Uganda)
  • Acraea rahira mufindi Kielland, 1990 (Tanzania)

References

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