Acraea eponina
Encyclopedia
The Orange Acraea 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.
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.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
of the Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
family. It is found in tropical Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and south-western Arabia.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
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.
Natural enemies include the parasitoids Carcelia normula and Charops
Charops
Charops or Charopus may refer to:*Charops , name of several Greek mythological characters*Charops of Epirus statesmen in 2nd c. BC...
species and the predacious bugs Afrius figuratus, Rhynocoris bicolor and other Rhynocoris
Rhynocoris
Rhynocoris is a genus of assassin bug family , in the subfamily Harpactorinae.Species of this genus are noted for providing parental care of offspring. Parental care is unusual in subsocial insects, having only evolved six times in the Heteroptera. R. tristis for example, is well-known for guarding...
species.
The larvae of ssp. eponina feed on Hibiscus
Hibiscus
Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world...
, Sida, Nicotiana
Nicotiana
Nicotiana is a genus of herbs and shrubs of the nightshade family indigenous to North and South America, Australia, south west Africa and the South Pacific. Various Nicotiana species, commonly referred to as tobacco plants, are cultivated and grown to produce tobacco. Of all Nicotiana species,...
, Hermannia, and Triumfetta
Triumfetta
Triumfetta is a genus of plants in the family Malvaceae.There are about 70 species which are widespread across tropical regions. These include :*Triumfetta albida Halford*Triumfetta antrorsa Halford...
species. Ssp. manjaca has been reported on Triumfetta rhomboidea, Triumfetta annua, Triumfetta effusa, Triumfetta pilosa and Hermannia species.
Subspecies
- Acraea eponina eponina (Tropical Africa, south-western Arabia)
- Acraea eponina manjaca (Natal, Swaziland, Transvaal, Rhodesia, Mozambique)