Acraea anacreon

The wingspan is 40–50 mm for males and 45–55 mm for females. A. anacreon Trim. (55 a). Wings above in the male orange-yellow, in the female grey-yellow to violet-grey, often darker on the forewing; both wings above with dark marginal band, which encloses large, light, sharply defined marginal spots; the veins at the proximal side of the marginal bands distinctly thickened with black; the black dot in the cell of the hindwing is always placed in the distal half of the cell; the hindwing beneath with light yellow ground-colour, at the base of cellules 1 c and 8 always red, often also with red spots in the other cellules between the black dots. The discal dots in 4 to 6 of the forewing are well developed and the ground-colour sometimes much lighter beyond them. South Africa to the Transvaal, Nyassaland and German East Africa. - anacreontica Smith [now species Acraea anacreontica] (55 b?) is very similar to the type-form, but differs in the lighter ground-colour of the upper surface, smaller discal dots and better developed red spots between the black dots on the underside of the hindwing. British East Africa. - bomba Smith [ now species Acraea bomba ] differs in the forewing above having a black apical spot 4 to 8 mm. in breadth, not or indistinctly spotted, and lacking discal dots (3) 4 to 6. In the dry-season form the apical spot of the forewing is only about 4 mm. in breadth and the wings above are not darkened at the base; in the rainy-season form, induna Trim. (55 b), on the other hand, the apical spot of the forewing is 7 to 8 mm. in breadth and the wings, especially the hindwing, are broadly blackish at the base above. Angola and Rhodesia to British East Africa. - speciosa Wichgr. has the ground-colour of the upper surface brighter brown-red and the marginal band of the fore wing above is only indicated by the thickened black veins; the under surface brightly coloured with well developed red spots on the hindwing; otherwise agreeing with the type-form. Angola. [2]

• Acraea speciosa Wichgraf, 1909 subspecies according to Pierre & Bernau, 2014

Adults are on wing from October to May, with a peak in February. There are usually multiple generations per year, but only one (with adults on wing in February) in high mountains.[3]

The larvae feed on Cliffortia linearifolia, Aeschynomene and Adenia species.

It is a member of the Acraea rahira species group.- but see also Pierre & Bernaud, 2014 [4]

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Wikispecies has information related to Acraea anacreon.

• Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 55 a
• Images representing Acraea anacreon at Bold