Bebearia Tessmanni

''Bebearia tessmanni'', or Tessmann's forester, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Afrotropical Butterflies: Nymphalidae - Tribe Adoliadini
/ref> The habitat consists of forests.

The species is named after the collector Günter Tessmann.

''E. tessmanni'' Grunb. is also most nearly allied to '' Bebearia innocua'' and '' Bebearia cutteri''. In the male the upper surface is dark olive-brown, entirely without marginal band, the black markings and spots similar as in ''innocua'';
the markings in the cells only developed as streaks and rings; the brown-yellow subapical band of the forewing less sharp, particularly in the middle part indistinct and without sharp boundary, the distal part between veins 5 and 3 most distinct, but without black central spots. Under surface brown tinged with olivaceous, the basal half of both wings strongly watered with, pale blue; of the black markings in the cells only the fine boundary-lines are present, the centre is scarcely darkened; the markings outside the cell are wanting; the light subapical band of the forewing is only developed in the anterior part and disappears immediately behind vein 6; the white apical spot of the forewing rather small; the narrow white streak between veins 7 and 8 of the hindwing sharp and distinct. The female very similar on the upperside to that of ''cutteri'', the yellow subapical band of the forewing narrower, between veins 5 and 6 4—4.5 mm. in breadth; median area of the hindwing with blue-green reflection, at the middle beyond the cell yellow.
Under surface like ''cutteri'' in tone of colour, the black markings in the cells and on the discoidal veins less compact, thickly margined with black, but filled in with lighter; the spots of the short black discal band on the hindwing present, somewhat
weaker than in ''cutteri'', on the forewing entirely absent; subapical band of the forewing only 4mm. in breadth and white, not yellow as in ''cutteri''-, the submarginal spots in both wings smaller and less sharp. Expanse 58 (male) - 67 (female) mm. Spanish Guinea, at Alcu.Aurivillius, .O.. 1908-1924. In: Seitz, A. ''Die Grosschmetterlinge der Erde'' Band 13: Abt. 2, ''Die exotischen Grosschmetterlinge, Die afrikanischen Tagfalter'', 1925, 613 Seiten, 80 Tafeln (The Macrolepidoptera of the World 13).Alfred Kernen Verlag, Stuttgart.

Subspecies

*''Bebearia tessmanni tessmanni'' (Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Central African Republic)
*''Bebearia tessmanni innocuoides'' Hecq, 2000 (western Nigeria)
*''Bebearia tessmanni kwiluensis'' Hecq, 1989 (Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo)

References

Butterflies described in 1910
tini
Butterflies of Africa
Taxa named by Karl Grünberg

{{Limenitidinae-stub