Acraea esebria
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%
Acraea esebria, the dusky acraea, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae from southern and eastern Africa. The wingspan is 45–55 mm for males and 53–60 mm for females. Males and females both show the same range of colouration.
The dusky acraea is a variable species, but the most common form is black with a white band across the forewing and a white patch on the lower forewing and on the hindwing. There are a number of described morphs (with white, yellow or orange patches) including:
f. ertli f. esebria f. protea (black with creamy-yellow patches) f. monteironis (black with white patches) f. jacksoni The numerous forms of A. esebria differ especially in the colour of the light markings, in the breadth of the subapical band and the hindmarginal spot of the forewing and in the development of the dark marginal band on the upperside of the hindwing. According to Trimen the larva is light ochre-brown; each segment in the middle with a black transverse streak edged with light yellow; head black; spines black, only the lateral spines on segments 5-11 yellow; lives on species of the genus Fleurya. Pupa white with slightly yellowish tone and... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 2 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Dusky Acraea sighting in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, based on 20 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 92nd most-seen of the 316 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
April and May
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Dusky Acraea in iSimangaliso Wetland Park on a given day, against under 5% in January and July–November, the lowest months.
Between 10 am and 1 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dusky Acraea sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 3
Of the 3 parks where we can rate Dusky Acraea sightings, iSimangaliso Wetland Park ranks 2nd at about 10%. The best odds are in uMkhuze Game Reserve (South Africa, about 20%).
Same genus: Acraea
The closest relatives of the Dusky Acraea that you can see in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (genus Acraea, Acraeas) are Dancing Amber (about 30%), Wanderer (about 10%) and Whitebar Acraea (about 10%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Dusky Acraea is recorded against all the insects logged in iSimangaliso Wetland Park (20 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
