Pseudacraea eurytus

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False wanderer
Pseudacraea eurytus.JPG
Pseudacraea eurytus2.JPG
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Pseudacraea
Species:
P. eurytus
Binomial name
Pseudacraea eurytus
Synonyms
  • Papilio eurytusLinnaeus, 1758
  • Papilio hirceDrury, [1782]
  • Pseudacraea imitatorTrimen, 1873
  • Diadema ruhamaHewitson, 1872
  • Pseudacraea simulatorButler, 1873
  • Pseudacraea fulvariaButler, 1874
  • Pseudacraea striataButler, 1874
  • Pseudacraea metaplanemaButler, 1874
  • Pseudacraea epigeaButler, 1874
  • Pseudacraea theoriniAurivillius, 1891
  • Pseudacraea theorini var. consanguineaAurivillius, 1894
  • Pseudacraea eurytus ab. bicolorAurivillius, 1899
  • Pseudacraea karschiFruhstorfer, 1903
  • Pseudacraea hobleyiNeave, 1904
  • Pseudacraea tirikensisNeave, 1904
  • Pseudacraea terraNeave, 1904
  • Pseudacraea obscuraNeave, 1904
  • Pseudacraea togoensisBartel, 1905
  • Pseudacraea impletaGrünberg, 1910
  • Pseudacraea ruwenzoricaGrünberg, 1911
  • Pseudacraea fickei f. occidentalisAurivillius, 1912
  • Pseudacraea eurytus hobleyi f. poggeoidesPoulton, 1913
  • Pseudacraea theorini ab. epigeoidesStrand, 1914
  • Pseudacraea theorini ab. obtusidentataStrand, 1914
  • Pseudacraea ruhama ab. latefasciataSchultze, 1920
  • Pseudacraea eurytus f. opisthoxanthaCarpenter, 1924
  • Pseudacraea eurytus f. kuenowoidesCarpenter, 1930
  • Pseudacraea eurytus f. schubotzoidesCarpenter, 1935
  • Pseudacraea eurytus f. stavelioidesCarpenter, 1949
  • Pseudacraea eurytus f. hemixanthaCarpenter, 1949
  • Pseudacraea eurytus f. infumataCarpenter, 1949
  • Pseudacraea eurytus f. griseaCarpenter, 1949
  • Pseudacraea eurytus f. jacksoniCarpenter, 1949
  • Pseudacraea eurytus f. nigralbaHecq, 1991
  • Pseudacraea fulvaria f. fontaineiHecq, 1991
  • Pseudacraea striata f. knoopiHecq, 1991
  • Pseudacraea simulatorGrose-Smith, 1889
  • Pseudacraea fickeiWeymer, 1907
  • Pseudacraea rogersiTrimen, 1909
  • Pseudacraea eurytus f. mlanjensisCarpenter, 1920
  • Pseudacraea eurytus f. victorisEltringham, 1929
  • Pseudacraea eurytus f. rufobrunneaCarpenter and Jackson, 1950
  • Pseudacraea conradtiOberthür, 1893
  • Pseudacraea eurytus f. pondoCarpenter, 1949
  • Pseudacraea eurytus f. chioneavan Son, 1979
  • Pseudacraea mimorasUngemach, 1932
  • Pseudacraea mimoras f. lachesisUngemach, 1932
  • Pseudacraea epaeoidesUngemach, 1932
  • Pseudacraea striata youbdonisUngemach, 1932

Pseudacraea eurytus, the false wanderer, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Africa.

Contents

Description

Oberthur1893EtudEnt 17Plate3, Pseudacraea eurytus eurytus 26.jpg
Pseudacraea eurytus eurytus, female from the Ogooué River, tropical Africa
Oberthur1893EtudEnt 17Plate3, Pseudacraea eurytus conradti 32.jpg
Pseudacraea eurytus conradti, male from the Usambara Mts, East Africa, in Charles Oberthür (1893)

The numerous forms of this group [eurytus group - eurytus, dolomena and rubrobasalis ] may be known at once by the long, distinct black streaks on the interneural folds of the hindwing; forewing always with 5 rounded black spots in the cell and 1 or 2 at the base of cellule 1b. The butterflies stand in interesting but very complicated mimetic relations with the Planema species which fly together with them. In the males the forewing is more pointed with the distal margin straight or slightly in the females the forewing very obtusely rounded with the distal margin curved.

The wingspan is 60–68 mm for males and 65–75 mm for females.

Subspecies

Biology

Adults are on wing year round, but mainly from December to May. There is a strong peak in late summer. [3]

The larvae feed on Mimusops obovata , Englerophytum magalismontanum , E. natalense and Donella viridifolia .

Genetic Underdominance

False wanderers display a rare example of stable genetic Underdominance. This species possesses two alleles which each confer an appearance similar to that of another local butterfly species that is toxic to its predator. Individuals who are heterozygous for this trait appear to be intermediate in appearance and thus experience increased predation and lowered overall fitness, since false wanderers heavily rely on Batesian mimicry for survival. [4]

References

  1. "Pseudacraea Westwood, [1850]" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. 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.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  3. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN   978-1-86872-724-7.
  4. Brauer, Fred; Kribs, Christopher (2015). Dynamical Systems for Biological Modeling: An Introduction. CRC Press. p. 399.