Acraea masamba

Acraea masamba is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found on Madagascar.^[3] The habitat consists of forests.

Acraea masamba
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Acraea
Species:	A. masamba
Binomial name
Acraea masamba Ward, 1872 [1] [2]
Synonyms
Acraea (Actinote) masamba Acraea ruepelli Saalmuller, 1878 Acraea boseae Saalmuller, 1880 Acraea masamba r. vulgaris Oberthür, 1916 Acraea masamba f. torquata Le Cerf, 1927

Description

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

A. masamba Ward (56 g) closely approximates to the two preceding species [ Acraea igola, Acraea strattipocles ], but the red-yellow scaling of the forewing is less extended, leaving the apex of the cell free and covering at most the base of cellule 2; it is much paler in the female than in the male. The hindwing as in strattipocles with large discal dots; the distal black dot in the cell is placed more basally before the origin of vein 2; in the female the ground-colour of the hindwing is often whitish. Madagascar, f. silia Mab. (56 g) [now species Acraea silia] only differs in having the reddish colour of the upper surface more yellowish and behind the discal spots of the hind wing more or less whitish; the sexes almost alike. Madagascar, f. boseae Saalm. (56 g) is smaller, with the ground-colour of the upper surface light yellow. Madagascar.^[4]

Taxonomy

It is a member of the Acraea masamba species group. But see also Pierre & Bernaud, 2014.^[5]