Overview
Charaxinae, the leafwings, is a nymphalid subfamily of butterflies that includes about 400 species, inhabiting mainly the tropics, although some species extend into temperate regions in North America, Europe, China and southern Australia. There are significant variations between the species. For example, some are medium-sized and bright orange above, but mottled gray or brown below.1] This underwing coloration helps them resemble a dead leaf when they are at rest as they keep their wings closed.[1] With relatively few exceptions, the hindwings of the members of this subfamily have jagged edges.
Adults are very robust and fast flyers, and many are strongly attracted to drink liquids off carrion, dung, and rotten fruits, rather than nectar from flowers.[1]
Males establish territories and perch on tree trunks, branches, and even the ground.[1] The eggs are smooth and round and generally with a somewhat concave apex.
Some genera in this subfamily (notably Charaxes, Agrias and Prepona) are very popular among butterfly collectors.
Genera
Tribe Charaxini Guen?e, 1865
- Polyura ? nawabs
- Charaxes ? rajahs and pashas, emperors
Tribe Euxanthini Rydon, 1971 [2]
- Euxanthe
Tribe Pallini Rydon, 1971
- Palla
Tribe Prothoini Roepke, 1938
- Prothoe
- Agatasa ? Glorious Begum
Tribe Preponini Rydon, 1971[2]
- Agrias
- Prepona
- Archaeoprepona
- Noreppa
- Anaeomorpha (sometimes in Anaeini)
Tribe Anaeini (also see tribe article)
- Anaea
- Coenophlebia
- Consul
- Fountainea
- Hypna
- Memphis (formerly included in Anaea)
- Polygrapha
- Siderone
- Zaretis
Gallery
Collection specimens
Polyura - Polyura narcaeus ?
Charaxes - Charaxes distanti ?
Euxanthe - Euxanthe eurynome
Prepona - Prepona laerteslaertes ?
Archaeoprepona - Archaeoprepona licomedes ?
Anaea - Anaea archidona ?
Consul - Consul fabius
Living specimens
Black Rajah (Charaxes solon)
Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius)
One-spotted Prepona (Archaeoprepona demophon)
Males establish territories and perch on tree trunks, branches, and even the ground.[1] The eggs are smooth and round and generally with a somewhat concave apex.
Some genera in this subfamily (notably Charaxes, Agrias and Prepona) are very popular among butterfly collectors.
Genera
Tribe Charaxini Guen?e, 1865
- Polyura ? nawabs
- Charaxes ? rajahs and pashas, emperors
Tribe Euxanthini Rydon, 1971 [2]
- Euxanthe
Tribe Pallini Rydon, 1971
- Palla
Tribe Prothoini Roepke, 1938
- Prothoe
- Agatasa ? Glorious Begum
Tribe Preponini Rydon, 1971[2]
- Agrias
- Prepona
- Archaeoprepona
- Noreppa
- Anaeomorpha (sometimes in Anaeini)
Tribe Anaeini (also see tribe article)
- Anaea
- Coenophlebia
- Consul
- Fountainea
- Hypna
- Memphis (formerly included in Anaea)
- Polygrapha
- Siderone
- Zaretis
Gallery
Collection specimens
Polyura - Polyura narcaeus ?
Charaxes - Charaxes distanti ?
Euxanthe - Euxanthe eurynome
Prepona - Prepona laerteslaertes ?
Archaeoprepona - Archaeoprepona licomedes ?
Anaea - Anaea archidona ?
Consul - Consul fabius
Living specimens
Black Rajah (Charaxes solon)
Two-tailed Pasha (Charaxes jasius)
One-spotted Prepona (Archaeoprepona demophon)
References
- ^ a b c d Daniels, Jaret C. (2003). Butterflies of the Carolinas. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications, Inc.. pp. 12. ISBN 1-59193-007-3.
- ^ a b Rydon, A.H.B. 1971. The systematics of the Charaxidae (Lepidoptera: Nymphaloidea). Entomologists Record 83: 219-233, 283-287, 310-316, 336-341, 384-388, 6 figs., 4 plates.
External links
Taxonomy
The Subfamily Charaxinae is a member of the Family Nymphalidae. Here is the complete "parentage" of Charaxinae:
- Domain: Eukaryota
Whittaker & Margulis,1978 - eukaryotes
- Kingdom: Animalia
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Branch: Protostomia
Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
- Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa
A.M.A. Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex T. Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - ecdysozoans
- Superphylum: Panarthropoda
Cuvier
- Phylum: Arthropoda
Latreille, 1829 - Arthropods
- Subphylum: Mandibulata
Snodgrass, 1938
- Infraphylum: Atelocerata
Heymons, 1901
- Superclass: Panhexapoda
- Class: Insecta
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Insects
- Subclass: Dicondylia
- Infraclass: Pterygota
- Winged Insects
- Cohort: Myoglossata
- Superorder: Panorpida
- Order: Lepidoptera
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Butterflies and Moths
- Infraorder: Heteroneura
- a genus of Longhorned Beetles (Cerambycidae)
- Family: Nymphalidae
- Brushfooted Butterflies
- Subfamily: Charaxinae - Leafwings and relatives
- Family: Nymphalidae
- Brushfooted Butterflies
- Infraorder: Heteroneura
- a genus of Longhorned Beetles (Cerambycidae)
- Order: Lepidoptera
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Butterflies and Moths
- Superorder: Panorpida
- Cohort: Myoglossata
- Infraclass: Pterygota
- Winged Insects
- Subclass: Dicondylia
- Class: Insecta
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - Insects
- Superclass: Panhexapoda
- Infraphylum: Atelocerata
Heymons, 1901
- Subphylum: Mandibulata
Snodgrass, 1938
- Phylum: Arthropoda
Latreille, 1829 - Arthropods
- Superphylum: Panarthropoda
Cuvier
- Infrakingdom: Ecdysozoa
A.M.A. Aguinaldo et al., 1997 ex T. Cavalier-Smith, 1998 - ecdysozoans
- Branch: Protostomia
Grobben, 1908 - protostomes
- Subkingdom: Bilateria
(Hatschek, 1888) Cavalier-Smith, 1983 - bilaterians
- Kingdom: Animalia
C. Linnaeus, 1758 - animals
The Subfamily Charaxinae is further organized into finer groupings including:
- Tribe (6): Anaeini · Charaxini · Euxanthini · Pallini · Preponini · Prothoini
- Genus (20): Agrias · Anaea · Anaeomorpha · Archaeoprepona · Charaxes · Coenophlebia · Consul · Euxanthe · Fountainea · Hypna · Memphis · Noreppa · Palla · Polygrapha · Polyura · Portia · Prepona · Prothoe · Siderone · Zaretis
- Species: ZipcodeZoo has pages for 2,206 species and subspecies in the Subfamily Charaxinae.
Genera
Agrias
Agrias is a genus of charaxine nymphalid butterflies found in South and Central America. [more]
Anaea
Anaeini is a tribe of Neotropical brush-footed butterflies. Their wing undersides usually mimic dead leaves. [more]
Anaeomorpha
Archaeoprepona
Archaeoprepona is a genus of Neotropical charaxine butterflies in the family Nymphalidae, native to Mexico, Central America, northern South America and the Caribbean. The underside of their wings is pale brownish, while the upperside is dark with a distinct bright blue band. [more]
Charaxes
Charaxes has several meanings: [more]
Coenophlebia
Consul
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[1] [more]
Euxanthe
Fountainea
Hypna
Memphis
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers. [more]
Noreppa
Palla
A Genus in the Kingdom Animalia.[2] [more]
Polygrapha
Polyura
Polyura is the of nawab butterflies. They belong to the brush-footed butterfly subfamily Charaxinae, or leafwing butterflies. Like the large and conspicuous pasha and rajah butterflies (Charaxes) they belong to the Charaxini tribe. [more]
Portia
Prepona
Prepona is a genus of Neotropical charaxine butterflies in the family Nymphalidae. They are strong fliers in tropical forests where they feed on fermenting fruits and animal dung. The underside of the wings is pale greyish or brownish, while the upperside is dark with distinct iridescent blue markings. A few species also have orange markings on the upperside of the wings. They are popular among butterfly collectors. [more]
Prothoe
Prothoe is a genus of charaxine butterflies in the family Nymphalidae. Two of the three species are virtually restricted to western and central Melanesia, but the most widespread species, P. franck, occurs throughout a large part of southeast Asia and as far northwest as Assam in India. [more]
Siderone
Zaretis
At least 20 species and subspecies belong to the Genus Zaretis.
More info about the Genus Zaretis may be found here.
References
- ^ a b c d Daniels, Jaret C. (2003). Butterflies of the Carolinas. Cambridge, MN: Adventure Publications, Inc.. pp. 12. ISBN 1-59193-007-3.
- ^ a b Rydon, A.H.B. 1971. The systematics of the Charaxidae (Lepidoptera: Nymphaloidea). Entomologists Record 83: 219-233, 283-287, 310-316, 336-341, 384-388, 6 figs., 4 plates.
Footnotes
- http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Consul&search=Search
- http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Palla&search=Search
Sources
- The text on this page is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It includes material from Wikipedia retrieved Wednesday, April 25, 2012.
- Photographs on this page are copyrighted by individual photographers, and individual copyrights apply.
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