they are most common from March to May. They are slow fliers, and perch on low-growing vegetation. In some populations there are two kinds of females, one producing offspring in a normal 1:1 sex ratio, the other producing females only. In other populations the sex ratio is apparently normal. Scientists first believed the distorted sex-ratio was caused by a driving W chromosome. Later research suggests it is caused by cytoplasmic bacteria. Gallery Taxonomy It is a member of the Acraea encedon species group, but see also Pierre & Bernaud, 2014 Hyalites (group encedon) Henning, 1993, Metamorphosis 4 (2): 54 Acraea (Actinote) (group encedon subgroup encedon) Pierre & Bernaud, 2009, Butterflies of the World 31: 2 Telchinia (Telchinia) Henning & Williams, 2010, Metamorphosis 21 (1): 26 References External links Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 56 e as encedon, sganzini and lycia g as daira Images representing Acraea encedon at Bold Images representing Acraea encedon encedon at Bold All-female broods and mimetic polymorphism in Acraea encedon (L.) (Lepidoptera: Acraeidae) in Tanzania Sex ratio distortion in Acraea encedon (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) is caused by a male-killing bacterium encedon Butterflies of Africa Butterflies described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus