Butterflies and skippers of the afrotropical region

Swainson, 1827

The most complete and robust phylogeny of the family Nymphalidae has been provided by Wahlberg and colleagues from Stockholm University (Wahlberg et al. 2003, Wahlberg et al., 2005). Details, including a checklist of the world nymphalid fauna, is available on his website – www.zoologi.su.se/research/wahlberg The phylogeny of the Nymphalidae, down to tribal level, is given below. Taxa highlighted in yellow are those that are known to occur in the Afrotropical Region.

Subfamily Libytheinae Boisduval, 1833

Subfamily Danainae Boisduval, 1833

Tribe Tellervini Fruhstorfer, 1910

Tribe Danaini Boisduval, 1833

Tribe Ithomiini Godman & Salvin 1879

The satyrine clade

Subfamily Satyrinae Boisduval, 1833

Tribe Haeterini Herrich-Schaeffer, 1864

Tribe Melanitini Reuter, 1896

Tribe Elymniini Herrich-Schaeffer, 1864

Tribe Eritini Miller, 1968

Tribe Ragadiini Herrich-Schaeffer, 1864

Tribe Satyrini Boisduval, 1833

Subfamily Morphinae Newman, 1834

Tribe Morphini Newman, 1834

Tribe Amathusiini Moore, 1894

Tribe Brassolini Boisduval, 1836

Subfamily Charaxinae Guenée, 1865

Tribe Charaxini Guenée, 1865

Tribe Euxanthini Rydon, 1971

Tribe Pallini Rydon, 1971

Tribe Prothoini Roepke, 1938

Tribe Preponini Rydon, 1971

Tribe Anaeini Reuter, 1896

Subfamily Calinaginae Moore, 1895

Subfamily Heliconiinae Swainson, 1822

Tribe Acraeini Boisduval, 1833

Tribe Heliconiini Swainson, 1822

Tribe Argynnini Swainson, 1833

Tribe Vagrantini Pinratana & Eliot, 1996

Subfamily Limenitidinae Behr, 1864

Tribe Limenitini Behr, 1864

Tribe Parthenini Reuter, 1896

Tribe Adoliadini Doubleday, 1845

Subfamily Cyrestinae Guenée, 1865

Tribe Cyrestini Guenée, 1865

Tribe Pseudergoli Jordan, 1898

Subfamily Biblidinae Boisduval, 1833

Tribe Biblidini Boisduval, 1833

Tribe Epicaliini Guenée, 1865

Tribe Ageroniini Doubleday, 1847

Tribe Epiphilini Jenkins, 1987

Tribe Eubagini Burmeister, 1878

Tribe Callicorini Orfila, 1952

Subfamily Apaturinae Boisduval, 1840

Subfamily Nymphalinae Rafinesque, 1815

Incertae sedis

Tribe Nymphalini Rafinesque, 1815

Tribe Coeini Scudder, 1893

Tribe Victorinini Scudder, 1893

Tribe Kallimini Doherty, 1886

Tribe Melitaeini Newman, 1870

Tribe Junoniini Reuter, 1896

SUBFAMILY HELICONIINAE

Swainson, 1822

Subfamily Heliconiinae Swainson, 1822

Tribe Acraeini Boisduval, 1833

Genera: Pardopsis, Acraea, Miyana, Abananote, Altinote, Cethosia

Tribe Heliconiini Swainson, 1822

Tribe Argynnini Swainson, 1833

Genera: Euptoieta, Yramea, Boloria, Prokuekenthaliella, Issoria, Argynnis

Tribe Vagrantini Pinratana & Eliot, 1996

Genera: Lachnoptera, Phalanta, Smerina

TRIBE ACRAEINI

Boisduval, 1833

Syn. Tribe Pardopsini

Type-species: Papilio horta Linnaeus, by subsequent designation (Scudder, 1875. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 10: 101 (91-293).).

Type-species: Papilio horta Linnaeus, by subsequent designation (Scudder, 1875. Proceedings of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences 10: 101 (91-293).).

“Larva. Above livid-purplish; a central dorsal dull-greenish streak, edged on both sides by a linear series of small white marks, which on the anterior segments (two to five) are developed into thin transverse striae; a similar series of minute white spots bounds lower edge of livid-purple on each side; below this, each side is olive-greenish; under side and pro-legs light green; head black, shining, striped frontally, superiorly and laterally with white; legs pale greenish, yellowish terminally. Dorsal spines on third to sixth segments considerably longer than the rest, erect, nearly straight, rather thick, with only a terminal bristle, dull greyish; other spines throughout yellowish or greenish white, set with a few whitish bristles; the dorsal ones inclining backward from the ninth to the anal segment. Length 1,25 inches. The very young larvae, according to Colonel Bowker, advance in a regular row, side by side, from the base of a leaf, eating away the parenchyma as they proceed. Pupa. Pale orange-yellow. Two dorsal rows of bright orange black-ringed acute tuberculate spots, and on each side a row of similar (but not tuberculated) spots, mark the abdominal segments, some of the incisions of which are dorsally thinly defined with black. Neuration of wings, and a median stripe along back of thorax, and head black. Rather more curved than usual in Acraea pupae; back of thorax very prominent; cephalic tubercles rather acutely pointed. Length 0,5 inches.”

“The eggs of this species are laid in a bunch in most irregular fashion, very often one on top of another, three to four deep, on the underside of a single leaf of Rawsonia usambarensis (Bixaceae). When the female has selected a suitable leaf, she will take up her position on the underside and deposit ten to fifteen eggs in succession and then rest for a while, completing the deposition in the space of an hour or so. She does not leave the leaf until the full complement has been laid. In shape these eggs are barrel-like with indications of longitudinal and transverse grooves. Their surface is highly glazed. The colour is at first creamy, rapidly becoming orange, then greyish. The young larva is brownish, changing at the second moult to a parti-colour dull brownish and black. The first four-and-a-half segments are purply brown, the remainder with the exception of the last two, ochre. The hind segments are coloured as the anterior. A white interrupted line runs the length of the body from the second to the anal segments, just above the level of the legs. The undersurface of the body is yellowish to olive. A mid-dorsal white line extends from the first to the tenth segment. The anterior legs are yellowish with black tips, the hind legs olive. The branched spines on the sixth to anal segments are brownish and short, those anterior to these are very long and black. When disturbed, the larva has the curious habit of arching the front segments and throwing forward the long spines into a bunch over the head. The head is jet black with an inverted white ‘V’ just above the mouth parts. Fine white hairs cover the lateral lobes. The pupa is rather peculiar, being rather squat and somewhat curved. It is ochreous-brown in colour, and is decorated with fine black lines on the wing-cases. Each abdominal segment is ornamented with raised yellowish spots, two dorsally, one ventrolaterally. The base of each spine is finely encircled in black. The newly emerged butterfly has the tips of the wings opaque greyish.”

“Larva. Ochreous-yellow. Each segment broadly banded transversely with purplish-red, the band occupying the middle portion. Spines long and distinctly branched, blackish, springing from tubercles situated in the purplish-red bands; the two dorsal spines on segment next head longer than the rest, erect. Head ochreous-yellow. Legs and pro-legs purplish-red.” (Plate I fig. I). Pupa. Pinkish-white. Margins of head, limbs, and wing-nervures defined with black. Abdominal rows of spots arranged as in pupae of A. Horta and A. serena, but more continuous; the spots rose-pink in wide black contiguous rings. Median line of under side of abdomen tinged with rose-pink; two spots of the same colour on median line of back of thorax, and one at base of wings. Head ochreous-yellow. (Plate I fig. Ia). This pupa appears to be rounder and blunter anteriorly than that of A. Horta, and is so much more curved that the dorsal outline is strongly convex in a lateral view. The above descriptions are made from a coloured drawing executed by the late Dr. Seaman in 1869, exhibiting a lateral view both of larva and pupa.”

Synonym of Acraea zetes acara Hewitson, 1865. Ackery et al., 1995: 247.