Butterflies and skippers of the afrotropical region

Misattributed to the Madagascar fauna by Mabille [1887] (Lees et al., 2003).

“… and I learn from Mrs. Barber, who discovered them, that the larvae abound on the plant in question [Polygonum ?tomentosum], and that their colouring resembles the pink and bronzy hues of the infloresence.”

“Larva. Back and sides blackish; thoracic legs, claspers, and a line above them chrome yellow. A dorsal white stripe, and on each segment four yellow spots from which spring four branched yellow spines, the lower pair springing from the yellow spiracular line. These spines are shorter than in the majority of Acraea larvae. Head yellow. Feeds on a species of groundsel, Erigeron canadense (Linn.). Two figures of the pupa are given: One pupa is waxy white and similar to the pupae of other Acraeae, the other ferruginous. The ferruginous pupae had nearly always been attacked by ichneumons, with which the larvae were much infested.”

“Egg. Eggs are laid in clusters in neat formation on the underside of a well-developed leaf. There may be up to over 100 eggs. At first they are yellow, changing to pale brown, which gradually turns to purplish red and just before hatching, after 8-10 days, they turn blackish purple. They are 0.5 mm in diameter and 0.75 mm high. There are 20-24 longitudinal ribs cross-braced by some 16 indented ribs which break up into a rough hexagonal pattern over the top. Larva. Like in most Acraea, the young larvae eat the discarded egg shell, then feed on the surface of the leaf. There are two main groups, one taking five and the other six instars. Occasionally a larva takes seven instars. The development proceeds as follows: Five instar group: 1^st instar 1.75 mm, growing to 3.5 mm in 5 days; 2^nd instar growing to 5 mm in 4 days; 3^rd instar growing to 10 mm in 4 days; 4^th instar growing to 15 mm in 4 days; 5^th instar growing to 30-33 mm in 9 days. Six instar group: 1^st instar 1.75mm, growing to 3.25 mm in 5 days; 2^nd instar growing to 4.25 mm in 4-5 days; 3^rd instar growing to 9 mm in 5 days; 4^th instar growing to 14 mm in 5 days; 5^th instar growing to 19 mm in 5 days; 6^th instar growing to 30-33 mm in 10 days. Seven instar group: 1^st instar 1.5mm, growing to 2.75 mm in 5 days; 2^nd instar growing to 4.5 mm in 6 days; 3^rd instar growing to 8 mm in 7 days; 4^th instar growing to 13 mm in 7 days; 5^th instar growing to 18 mm in 7 days; 6^th instar growing to 23 mm in 8 days; 7^th instar growing to 30-33 mm in 12 days. In the latter instars there is a variation in intensity of colour and in the final instar there is a light and a dark form, the latter due to the darker ground colour and the encroachment of the darker portion on the lighter. In the lighter varieties the dorsal protuberances may be entirely yellow, while in the dark ones they are mainly black. The larvae are gregarious till the penultimate instar, then they begin to separate. Pupa. The pupa is suspended by cremastral hooks only. There is a darker variety than the one shown in the plate. The pupae are about 17 mm long. The imago emerges after 11-13 days.”

“Male. Larger than ssp. rahira. Upperside pale yellowish-ochre with heavy black markings. F.w. black spear-like marginal streaks fully reaching the evenly curved row of subapical black spots, and, together with the subapical black spots, enclosing several long pale-ochre spots; a discal black spot in space 1b and in 2; a larger spot at cell-end and one in cell. The discal spot in 2 placed further basad from the one in 3 than in ssp. rahira; h.w. with heavier marginal border than in rahira. Underside similar to that of rahira, but the median pale band (just outside of the discal black spots) narrower and more curved, its distal black border heavier; postdiscal row of large rusty-ochre spots faint or lacking. Length of f.w. 21-25 mm, average 23.9 mm. Female. Larger than the male; upperside arrangement of markings as in the male, but ground colour irregularly blackish-grey with paler patches. Underside ground colour almost as the upperside, but more even like the male, except being grey in colour. Length of f.w. 26.3-29 mm, average 27.7 mm. Male genitalia. Similar to ssp. rahira.”

Synonym of Acraea zitja Boisduval, 1833.