BUTTERFLY
Research, Conservation and Education
Semuliki National Park, Uganda

Genus Acraea

A largely pantropical genus, with 239 Afrotropical species described with 109 species recorded in Uganda (Bernaud et al., 2019). At Semuliki a total of 49 species (22 subgenus Acraea and 27 subgenus Actinote) have been recorded. Four extra species (A. endoscota, A. eltringhami, A. cabira and A. ventura) have been confirmed at Semuliki (Bernaud pers. comm) since the Forbes (2018) species list. The Semuliki species total contributes to just under 50% of the Ugandan species total. The Albertine Rift zone of endemism (that includes Semuliki) - with a distinct zone of endemism that includes an area uniting the two arms of the northern rift - contains the richest diversity of Acraea species at 127, with 30 of these being endemic - 17 (Actinote) and 13 (Acraea), (Bernaud, 2023).

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​​​​Recently, from detailed research of historic and current taxonomy classifications of the Acraeinae by Bernaud, (2023) there has been a proposed classification describing a monophyletic genus (Acraea), with two subgenera: Actinote and Acraea, (127 taxa, including subspecies) and Acraea (182 taxa, including subspecies). Using  quantitative phylogenetic analysis and gene sequencing, they concluded that the Afrotropical, Neotropical and Asian Acraea appear to a monophyletic clade, with the exception of the epaea group. Phylogenetic trees of divergence show the Acraea subgenus as consumers of Passifloraceae (a family of shrubs, vines and trees) and the subgenus Actinote, consumers of plants other than Passifloraceae. Species have also been categorised into groups (19 for the Ugandan species representatives), but for simplicity these will not be replicated here.