Introduction
There are about 95 Bebearia species, all denizens of the rainforests of the Afrotropics. The genus is comprised of a number of subgroups. The mardania subgroup are characterised by having greyish or pale buff undersides that are flecked with black and have a suffused dark band running from the forewing apex to the tornus of the hindwing.
The male of Bebearia mardania is dark brown on the upperside, with vague diffuse dark wavy lines. The female, as is typical of Bebearia, is completely different in appearance, having a khaki or light tan ground colour, with a black apex, and a white or yellowish diagonal band across the forewings.
Bebearia mardania is distributed from Sierra Leone to Cameroon and Congo.
Habitats
This species is found in rainforest habitats, in the vicinity of palms.
Lifecycle
The larval foodplants are palms ( Arecaceae ).
Adult behaviour
Males are commonly encountered feeding at fallen fruit along logging roads and wide forest tracks, while females tend to be seen mainly in the immediate vicinity of their foodplants.
