Butterflies and skippers of the afrotropical region

Synonym of Acraea masamba Ward, 1872. Ackery et al., 1995.

“Egg: Eggs are laid in rather disorderly clusters, some being laid on top of others. They are 0.8 mm high and 0.5 mm in diameter. There are 20 longitudinal ribs braced by 18-20 cross ridges which extend three quarters up the sides, then gradually change into indentations. They are pale watery yellow when laid, changing to dull brown with a touch of purple. The eggs hatch after 11 days. Larva: Younf larvae, after hatching, rest a while, then they eat their discrded shells. They rest again, then cluster together and commence feeding side by side. Their droppings are caught up in silk, making a disorderly mess in which they go through their first moult. This is repeated in the second instar. They are gregarious throughout. There are two groups, one taking five instars and the other six. The development proceeds as follows: Five instar group: 1^st instar 1.75 mm, growing to 3.5 mm in 7 days; 2^nd instar growing to 6.5 mm in 6 days; 3^rd instar growing to 11 mm in 5 days; 4^th instar growing to 18 mm in 5-6 days; 5^th instar growing to 28 mm in 10 days. Six instar group: 1^st instar 1.75mm, growing to 3.25 mm in 9 days; 2^nd instar growing to 6 mm in 9 days; 3^rd instar growing to 10 mm in 8 days; 4^th instar growing to 16 mm in 6 days; 5^th instar growing to 20 mm in 4 days; 6^th instar growing to 28 mm in 6 days. Pupa: Pupae are suspended by cremastral hooks. They are a dull white with dull yellow spots on the dorsum between small moles. The ventral portion is white broken by black-edged salmon spots. The length is 16.5 to 18 mm. The imago emerges after 10 days.”

Recorded, in error, from Ghana by Ackery et al., 1995 (Larsen, 2005a).

“Larva: [Final instar] Upper half dark umber brown with a few irregular dark markings on the upper part of each segment, and a whitish lateral mark on segments 4-12. Head reddish brown with a white, ventrally bifurcated white line. Legs yellow at base, extremities black. Pro-legs yellow. Spines all black. The dorsal pair on segment 2 longer than the rest and somewhat curved. Pupa: Whitish with black lines representing nervures, antennae, legs etc. A ventral, two lateral, and two dorsal rows of segmental black marks, each with a yellowish centre. From the inner or dorsal side of each of these centres in the two dorsal rows of spots, there arises a short black process or spine. The general aspect of the pupa is as variable as that of the imago, sometimes the white and sometimes the black predominating.”

“The eggs are a long oval, slightly more pointed and flattened at the upper end. Faint indications of ribbing and transverse ridges. Larva brownish in first instar, turning reddish brown after the second moult. Underside of body yellowish. A white body line extends from the fourth to the twelfth segment. Head redder than the body, with a white inverted “V” above the mouth-parts. Fore and hind legs yellowish. Spines branched and long. Pupa long, 25 mm, whitish, decorated with nervular black lines on the wing cases, heavy marks on the dorsum of the thorax, raised orange spots on the dorsal and lateral aspects of each abdominal segment, each spot encircled with black.”