Graphium ridleyanus forms

[joachim]

Hello,

please check the photo, I have 2 pairs of Graphium ridleyanus

in the upper row, right is a female of the dark form infiscatus, but the male is also dark as the female.

under this, the "normal form"

I couldn´t find any info and thought the dark form is only represented in the females.

Tje others are acraea rsp. Pseudpacraea.

Thanks Joachim

P.S: All are from Bangui, Cemtr. Africa

Attachments:

[Adam Cotton]

I suspect the very unusual male is not really a form but a melanic aberration. Forms should occur regularly in reasonable numbers, if they only occur very rarely it is better to call them aberrations.

Adam.

[mcheki]

The male form infuscatus does seem to occur occasionally. Here is a drawer of Graphium with G ridleyanus included .
The two specimens in the bottom row of your photo are Pseudacraea clarkii which belongs to the Nymphalidae family, which is separate from the Acreaidae.

[africaone]

not so rare, can be considered as a form …

[joachim]

Thanks to all also to Jean Pierre.
So what I can see is that the males also occur in dark forms, so the question is whether the dark forms are really a "form" also occuring in the males or just abberate within the color (colour)
Joachim

[cabintom]

I've personally collected an "intermediate" male. Not quite as suffused as the "infuscatus" form, but definitely darker than is usual. Berger's "Papillons du Zaire" indicates that "infuscatus" is an uncommon form found in both the males and females.

Keep in mind it's a mimic of Acraea species (like egina) which are often suffused in colouration as well.