| Charaxes acraeoides | |
|---|---|
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| Figure 2 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Charaxes |
| Species: | C. acraeoides |
| Binomial name | |
| Charaxes acraeoides | |
Charaxes acraeoides is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae first described by Herbert Druce in 1908. It is found in Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [2]
It is one of the two Charaxes species with strikingly elongated forewings the outer margin of which are concave. The other is the less falcate Charaxes fournierae . The ground colour is black, the pattern is dull red. [3]
Original description
"Charaxes acraeoides, sp. n.
Male.—Head black, with four yellow spots, two on each side above the eye; antennae black; collar, tegular, thorax, and abdomen black; a white spot on the thorax just behind the collar and two yellow spots on each side of the thorax;palpi above black, the underside orange-yellow; the underside of the thorax and abdomen orange-yellow; the legs black. Primaries [forewings] black, crossed near the apex by a band of four elongated cream-coloured spots, the inner margin streaked with red, above which are five large red spots, the one nearest the anal angle the largest: secondaries [hindwings] red, black at the base and partly along the inner margin, the anal angle and part of the inner margin cream-colour; a black streak at the end of the cell, with the black spots on the underside showing through; the outer margin from the apex to the anal angle black, with a series of minute white dots in the middle of the black margin. Underside: primaries, the apical part of the wing pale yellowish brown, the veins and streaks between the veins black; the cream-coloured band as above, edged on the inner side by a band of black spots which extend along the outer margin to the anal angle; the cell and the central part of wing greenish grey; the usual black marks in the cell; the wing below the cell to the inner margin orange-red: secondaries orange-red, palest above the cell and above the anal angle; the outer margins and veins all black; four large black spots on the costal margin, four in the cell, and a row of five partly round the outside of the cell; the black outer margin is spotted with blue and greenish-grey dots.
Expanse 4 and 1/2 inches.
Hab. Cameroons, Bitje, Ja River, 2000 feet; wet season (Mus. Druce). This very fine species reminds one at first sight of Pseudacraea clarki , Butler, which also came in the collection." [4]
Female The female was not described until 1976 [5]
These are fast-flying butterflies which are part of a mimicry ring with Acraea and Pseudacraea species.
The habitat consists of primary forest (Congolian forests).
Charaxes acraeoides group
The supposed clade members are
Charaxes pelias, the protea emperor or protea charaxes, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae, and is endemic to the Cape Provinces in South Africa.
Pseudacraea lucretia, the false diadem or false chief, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Africa.
Charaxes smaragdalis, the western blue charaxes, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found from Senegal to Somalia, from Angola to Kenya and from Sudan to Egypt.
Charaxes fulvescens, the forest pearl charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.
Charaxes cynthia, the western red charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Angola, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.
Charaxes andara is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in eastern and southern Madagascar, where it is found in Afrotropical forests. It is very similar to Charaxes brutus, of which it has been considered a subspecies.
Charaxes phoebus is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Ethiopia. The habitat consists of montane forests and woodland.
Charaxes imperialis, the imperial blue charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.
Charaxes ameliae, the blue-spotted charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Zambia, Tanzania and Malawi.
Charaxes hadrianus, the Hadrian's white charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.This is a very rare charaxes, especially in West Africa. Individuals come to fruit-baited traps. Schultze states that freshly captured males emit a smell of violets.
Charaxes nobilis, the noble white charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. The species was first described by Herbert Druce in 1873. It is found in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda.
Charaxes lydiae is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Cameroon, Gabon and the Republic of the Congo.
Charaxes fournierae, the euphaedra charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda.
Charaxes zingha, the shining red charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Central African Republic, the northern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda and western Tanzania. The habitat consists of lowland evergreen forests and sometimes gallery forests and coastal scrubland.
Charaxes anticlea, the small flame-bordered charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia.
Charaxes pleione, the common orange charaxes, or square-winged red charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda and Tanzania.
Charaxes kahldeni is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in northern Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Uganda and southern Sudan. Its habitat is forests.
Charaxes nichetes, the Manx charaxes or water charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, Chad, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Angola.
Charaxes zelica, the zelica untailed charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Angola, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania and possibly Sierra Leone. The habitat consists of forests with altitudes of 800–1,000 metres (2,600–3,300 ft).
Charaxes affinis is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It was described by Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1866. It is found in the Indomalayan realm.
