Fresna nyassae

Last updated

Fresna nyassae
HollandHesperiidaeAfricaPlate1.jpg
Fresna nyassae figure 8
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Hesperiidae
Genus: Fresna
Species:
F. nyassae
Binomial name
Fresna nyassae
(Hewitson, 1878) [1]
Synonyms
List
  • Hesperia nyassaeHewitson, 1878
  • Parnara nyassae f. ennuariRiley, 1921
  • Hesperia roncilgonisPlötz, 1882
  • Fresna nyassae f. plataEvans, 1937
  • Fresna nyassae f. joppaEvans, 1937

Fresna nyassae, also known as the variegated Acraea skipper or variegated Acraea hopper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found from Ghana and Kenya to South Africa.

The wingspan is 34–38 mm for males and 39–42 mm for females. [2] The underside is pale purple or yellowish, with black spots. Adults are on wing year-round, but are commonest in spring and summer.

The larvae feed on Albizia species, Julbernardia globiflora and Paullinia pinnata . First instar larvae are bright scarlet with a black head. Later instars are whitish with a brown head. The final instar is smooth and white with a broken black dorsal stripe and a reddish-brown head with symmetrical orange markings. [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Atalopedes campestris</i> Species of butterfly

Atalopedes campestris is a small grass skipper butterfly. It has a wingspan of 35–41 mm. Male is orange, edged with brown, and has a large brown-black stigma. Female is darker with lighter markings in the center of the wing.

<i>Peridroma saucia</i> Species of moth

Peridroma saucia, the pearly underwing or variegated cutworm, is a moth of the family Noctuidae. The species was first described by Jacob Hübner in 1808. It is found in North and South America, Europe, Asia and Africa. The variegated cutworm feeds on many plants, especially common fruits and vegetables. The moth undergoes two to four generations per year. The development of the moth slows in colder temperatures, indicative of its migratory nature. All stages of the life cycle have a developmental threshold for temperature. The moth is known to migrate to the northern regions during warmer months, returning to the southern regions when the climate becomes colder.

Fresna is a genus of skippers in the family Hesperiidae. They are commonly known as Acraea skippers.

<i>Acraea horta</i> Species of butterfly

Acraea horta or the garden acraea is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

<i>Sarangesa motozi</i> Species of butterfly

Sarangesa motozi, also known as the forest elfin or elfin skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is native to southern and eastern Africa.

<i>Moltena fiara</i> Species of butterfly

Moltena fiara, the strelitzia night-fighter or banana-tree night-fighter, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in coastal lowland and riverine forest from the East Cape along the KwaZulu-Natal coast to Maputaland and north to Maputo in Mozambique.

<i>Platylesches galesa</i> Species of butterfly

Platylesches galesa, the white-tail hopper or black hopper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Transvaal, Mozambique and Zimbabwe. It is common in forest and woodland.

<i>Platylesches neba</i> Species of butterfly

Platylesches neba, the flower-girl hopper, is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Zululand, Transvaal, Zimbabwe and south-western Africa. The habitat consists of moist and dry savanna.

<i>Bematistes aganice</i> Species of butterfly

Bematistes aganice, the wanderer, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in southern and south-eastern Africa.

<i>Acraea rabbaiae</i> Species of butterfly

Acraea rabbaiae, the clear wing acraea, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in KwaZulu-Natal, Eswatini, from Mozambique to Kenya and in Tanzania.

<i>Acraea petraea</i> Species of butterfly

Acraea petraea, the blood acraea or blood-red acraea, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in coastal forests from KwaZulu-Natal to Mozambique, Kenya and Malawi.

<i>Acraea igola</i> Species of butterfly

Acraea igola, the dusky-veined acraea, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found from the Eastern Cape along the coast to KwaZulu-Natal, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, north-eastern Tanzania.

<i>Acraea anacreon</i> Species of butterfly

Acraea anacreon, the (large) orange acraea, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Kwazulu-Natal and Transvaal and from Angola to Zimbabwe and to Kenya. Elsewhere in Africa and adjacent regions, "orange acraea" refers to the smaller A. eponina.

<i>Acraea esebria</i> Species of butterfly

Acraea esebria, the dusky acraea, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae from southern and eastern Africa.

<i>Acraea hypoleuca</i> Species of butterfly

Acraea hypoleuca, the Namibian acraea, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Namibia.

<i>Acraea insignis</i> Species of butterfly

Acraea insignis, the black-blotched acraea, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and Zimbabwe.

Fresna carlo, commonly known as Evans' Acraea skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, western Uganda and possibly Nigeria. The habitat consists of forests.

Fresna cojo, the large Acraea skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, western Kenya, north-western Tanzania and Zambia. The habitat consists of drier open forests and transitional areas into Guinea savanna.

Fresna maesseni, commonly known as Maessen's Acraea skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. It is found in Ivory Coast, Ghana and Cameroon. The habitat consists of forests.

Fresna netopha, the common Acraea skipper, is a species of butterfly in the family Hesperiidae. 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, Rwanda, Burundi, western Kenya, Tanzania and north-eastern Zambia. The habitat consists of drier, open forests and the transitional zone between forests and Guinea savanna.

References

  1. Fresna at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN   978-1-86872-724-7.
  3. Afrotropical Butterflies: Hesperiidae - Subfamily Hesperiinae