The Dancing Acraea is a butterfly

Butterfly

A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...

 of the Nymphalidae

Nymphalidae

The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...

 family. It is found in South Africa

South Africa

The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...

, including the area near the Waterberg

Waterberg

Waterberg can refer to two articles about an area in Namibia:* Waterberg Biosphere* Waterberg National Park...

.

This is the type species

Type species

In biological nomenclature, a type species is both a concept and a practical system which is used in the classification and nomenclature of animals and plants. The value of a "type species" lies in the fact that it makes clear what is meant by a particular genus name. A type species is the species...

 of the old genus Telchinia, which may warrant re-separation from Acraea

Acraea

Acraea was a name that had several uses in Greek and Roman mythology.*Acraea was a daughter of the river-god Asterion near Mycenae, who together with her sisters Euboea and Prosymna acted as nurses to Hera...

. However, it might in fact be too close a relative of the type species of Acraea (Garden Acraea, A. horta) to warrant such a move. Formerly, A. serena was often misidentified as Acraea eponina

Acraea eponina

The Orange Acraea , also called Small Orange Acraea to distinguish it from the larger A. anacreon, is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is found in tropical Africa and south-western Arabia....

(Small Orange Acraea) or Acraea terpsicore

Acraea terpsicore

The Tawny Coster is a small leathery winged butterfly which is common in grassland and scrub habitats. It belongs to the Nymphalidae or brush-footed butterfly family. It has a weak fluttery flight. It is avoided by most insect predators...

(Tawny Coaster).

It is very likely that the butterfly's black-spotted orange markings are a sign of unpalatability and it may well form part of a mimicry ring with Erikssonia edgei

Erikssonia edgei

The Tilodi Copper or Waterberg Copper is a butterfly of the Lycaenidae family. It is found in South Africa where it is known only from the type locality, the north-facing base of a peak on the edge of a wide flat valley in the Waterberg Mountain Bushveld.The forewing length is 12.3-16.8 mm for...

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