Encedon acraea Acraea encedon is also known as the Common Acraea or White-barred
Acraea. It is a butterfly of the
Nymphalidae family found in tropical Africa and south-western Arabia. The
wingspan is 40–50 millimetres with the female being slightly larger than the
male, but otherwise similar in pattern and colour. The apex of the forewing is
blackish and divided by a white bar. The rest of the surface of the wings are
usually orange with black spots, however paler varieties with a greyish or
yellowish base colour are also found. There are two subspecies Acraea encedon encedon which is found in Africa south of the Sahara
and in Madagascar. In South Africa this species is absent from the dry western
parts of the country, but common in KwaZulu-Natal coastal areas on the eastern
side of the country. The second subspecies is Acraea encedon rathjensi and is the one found in Saudi Arabia as it
is present in south-western Arabia.
