Bug FAQGarden Acraea
Acraea horta · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
Also called: Wild Peach Caterpillar
They are found in South Africa and Zimbabwe, including regions such as Pondoland, Natal, Zululand and Transvaal. The larvae feed on Kiggelaria africana and several Passiflora species.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Male wings have few or no black dots on the forewing and small, elongated marginal spots on the hindwing; the underside of the hindwing is red along the inner margin.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Males measure 45 to 50 mm across, females 49 to 53 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They occur in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on Kiggelaria africana and various Passiflora species such as P. coerulea, P. manicata and P. mollisima.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults can be seen throughout the year, with higher numbers from October to April.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Flight period is year-round, peaking between October and April.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Native areas include Pondoland, Natal, Zululand, Transvaal and Zimbabwe.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
Males resemble Acraea neobule, while the female form ab. conjuncta has hindwing discal dots turned into broad black stripes.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What do Garden Acraea caterpillars eat?
They feed on Kiggelaria africana and several Passiflora species, including P. coerulea, P. manicata and P. mollisima.
Source: Wikipedia
When can I see adult Garden Acraea butterflies?
Adults are on the wing all year, but are most common from October through April.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the Garden Acraea found?
It occurs in South Africa and Zimbabwe, especially in regions like Pondoland, Natal, Zululand and Transvaal.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I tell a male Garden Acraea from a similar species?
The male lacks most black forewing dots and has small, elongated marginal spots on the hindwing, unlike the similar Acraea neobule.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acraea_horta
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.