Pseudacraea poggei

Pseudacraea poggei
Figure 2 (accompanying original description)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Pseudacraea
Species:	P. poggei
Binomial name
Pseudacraea poggei (Dewitz, 1879)
Synonyms
Hypolimnas poggei Dewitz, 1879 Pseudacraea poggei f. carpenteri Poulton, 1918

Pseudacraea poggei, the false monarch or monarch false acraea, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Angola, Namibia (Caprivi), northern Zambia, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Shaba) and western Tanzania.

Description

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

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Ps. poggei Dew. is a wonderfully faithful mimic of Danaida chrysippus. Both wings red-yellow above with fine black veins, but without black streaks between the veins; the apex of the forewing is black as far as the base of vein 4, with a -white subapical band composed of three large spots in cellules 4-6; the black colour forms at the costal margin a narrow streak to the base and at the distal margin as far as the hinder angle a white-dotted band about 3 mm. in breadth. The hindwing shows an unspotted black band about 2 mm. broad and close at the base is somewhat suffused with grey with indications of the black spots of the underside. The under surface of the forewing is similar to the upper, but relieved with grey at the apex; the hindwing, however, has beneath 4 large black spots at the base, the veins white, at the distal margin black, and instead of the marginal band only a black marginal line. Angola, southern Congo and Rhodesia.

Biology

The habitat consists of woodland.

Adults mimic Danaus chrysippus and have a similar flight pattern, but it is slightly faster.

The larvae feed on Chrysophyllum bangweolense.