home   about   search

biodiversity explorer

the web of life in southern Africa

Genus: Acraea

Life > Eukaryotes > Opisthokonta > Metazoa (animals) > Bilateria > Ecdysozoa > Panarthropoda > Tritocerebra > Phylum: Arthopoda > Mandibulata > Atelocerata > Panhexapoda > Hexapoda > Insecta (insects) > Dicondyla > Pterygota > Metapterygota > Neoptera > Eumetabola > Holometabola > Panorpida > Amphiesmenoptera > Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) > Glossata > Coelolepida > Myoglossata > Neolepidoptera > Heteroneura > Ditrysia > Apoditrysia > Obtectomera > Macrolepidoptera > Rhopalocera (butterflies) > Superfamily: Papilionoidea > Family: Nymphalidae > Subfamily: Heliconiinae > Tribe: Acraeini

Some classifications have divided this large genus into a number of smaller genera. See Silva-Brandão et al. (2008) for recent molecular and phylogenetic analysis. We are retaining the genus in the broad sense here until there is more stability in the nomenclature.

Species indigenous to southern Africa

List from Vári & Kroon (2002).

Subgenus: Acraea

  
 

Acraea acara (Acara acraea)   

 
 

Acraea acrita (Fiery acraea)

 
 

Acraea aganice (Common wanderer)

 
 

Acraea aglaonice (Clear-spotted acraea)

 
 

Acraea anemosa (Broad-bordered acraea)

 
 

Acraea asema

 

  
 

Acraea atergatis

 

  
 

Acraea atolmis  

 
 

Acraea axina (Little acraea)

 
 

Acraea barberi (Barber's acraea)

 
 

Acraea boopis (Rainforest acraea)

 
 

Acraea brainei

 

  
 

Acraea buettneri

 

  
 

Acraea caldarena (Black-tipped acraea)

 
 

Acraea cerasa (Tree-top acraea )

 

  
 

Acraea cuva  

 

  
 

Acraea dondoensis

 

  
 

Acraea egina

 

  
 

Acraea horta (Garden acraea)

 
 

Acraea hypoleuca

 

  
 

Acraea insignis

 

  
 

Acraea lygus (Lygus acraea)

 

  
 

Acraea machequena (Machequena acraea)

 

  
 

Acraea natalica (Natal acraea)

 
 

Acraea neobule (Wandering donkey acraea)        

 
 

Acraea nohara (Light red acraea)

 
 

Acraea omrora

 

  
 

Acraea oncaea (Window acraea)

 
 

Acraea petraea (Blood-red acraea)

 
 

Acraea pseudatolmis

 

  
 

Acraea pudorella

 

  
 

Acraea rabbaiae (Clear-wing acraea)

 
 

Acraea satis (East Coast acraea)

 

  
 

Acraea stenobea (Suffused acraea)

 
 

Acraea trimeni (Trimen's acraea)      

 

  
 

Acraea violarum (Speckled red acraea)

 
 

Acraea zetes (Large-spotted acraea)

 

Subgenus: Actinote

  
 

Acraea acerata

 

  
 

Acraea anacreon (Orange acraea)

 

  
 

Acraea bomba

 

  
 

Acraea cabira (Yellow-banded acraea)

 
 

Acraea encedeon (White-barred acraea)

 

  
 

Acraea eponina (Small orange acraea)

 
 

Acraea esebria (Dusky acraea)

 
 

Acraea fulgurata (Long-winged orange acraea)

 

  
 

Acraea goetzei

 

  
 

Acraea igola (Dusky-veined acraea)    

 
 

Acraea induna (Induna acraea)

 

  
 

Acraea johnstoni

 

  
 

Acraea obeira (Pale-yellow acraea)

 

  
 

Acraea parei

 

  
 

Acraea pentapolis

 

  
 

Acraea pharsalus

 

  
 

Acraea rahira (Marsh acraea)

 
 

Acraea vumbui

 

  

Publications

  • Silva-Brandão, K.L., Wahlberg, N., Francini, R.B., Azeredo-Espin, A.M.L., Brown, K.S. Jr, Paluch, M., Lees, D.C. & Freitas, A.V.L. 2008. Phylogenetic relationships of butterflies of the tribe Acraeini (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae) and the evolution of host plant use. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 46(2): 515-531.

  • VÁRI, L., KROON, D.M., & KRÜGER, M. 2002. Classification and checklist of the species of Lepidoptera recorded in southern Africa. Simple Solutions, Chatswood Australia.