Bematistes macarista

Bematistes macarista
Seitz Fauna Africana Taf59
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Bematistes
Species:	B. macarista
Binomial name
Bematistes macarista (Sharpe, 1906) [1] [2]
Synonyms
Planema macaristaSharpe, 1906 Acraea macarista(Sharpe, 1906) Acraea (Acraea) macarista Planema formosa moforsaSuffert, 1904 Planema plagiosciaBethune-Baker, 1908 Planema venditaWichgraf, 1911 Planema macarista macarista f. distinctaLe Doux, 1937 Planema formosa latefasciataSuffert, 1904 Planema macarista rileyiLe Doux, 1937

Bematistes macarista is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia. ^[3]

Description

For a key to the terms used, see Glossary of entomology terms.

P. macarista E. Sharpe (59 b, d). The male is similar to that of poggei , but the transverse band of the forewing is of almost uniform breadth, narrower and placed more vertically to the inner margin; in addition it does not reach the distal margin, hence the black ground-colour of the apex is continued to the hinder angle; the white median band of the hindwing is broader than in poggei male and the dark marginal band correspondingly narrower. In the female the transverse band of the forewing is white and terminates at vein 2; its spots in cellules 2 and 3 are cut off obliquely and almost straight towards the base. Cameroons to the Congo and Uganda, ab. plagioscia Baker only differs in having the transverse band of the forewing more deeply incised distally. Congo: Beni Mawambe. male-ab. latifasciata Suff. (59 c) has on the forewing a somewhat broader transverse band, which completely fills up the base of cellule 3. Cameroons. male -ab moforsa Suff. has the median band on the upperside of the hindwing brown-yellow, only white at the inner margin in cellule 1 a. Congo : Mukenge. male -ab. vendita Grünb. The median band on the upperside of the hindwing is narrower, in cellule 2 only 5 mm. in breadth, and at the costal margin yellow as far as vein 5. Sesse Islands. ^[4]

Subspecies

• Bematistes macarista macarista (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Sudan, western Kenya, north-western Tanzania, north-western Zambia)
• Bematistes macarista latefasciata(Suffert, 1904) (Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea)

Biology

The habitat consists of dense forests. Both sexes of this dimorphic species are mimicked by the parallel sexes of Pseudacraea eurytus .

References

1. Sharpe, E.M. 1906. Descriptions of two new species of Acraeidae from Entebbe, Uganda. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (7) 18: 75-76.
2. "Acraea Fabricius, 1807" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
3. "Afrotropical Butterflies: Nymphalidae - Tribe Acraeini". Archived from the original on 2012-08-10. Retrieved 2012-06-01.
4. Aurivillius, [P.O.]C. 1908-1924. In: Seitz, A. Die Grosschmetterlinge der Erde Band 13: Abt. 2, Die exotischen Grosschmetterlinge, Die afrikanischen Tagfalter, 1925, 613 Seiten, 80 Tafeln (The Macrolepidoptera of the World 13).Alfred Kernen Verlag, Stuttgart. This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .

External links

• Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 59 bmacarista macarista and c (latefasciata) dmacarista macarista
• Images representing Acraea macarista at Bold
• Images representing Acraea macarista distincta at Bold