Nymphalidae

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iNymphalidae

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Division:	Rhopalocera
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Superfamily:	Papilionoidea
Family:	Nymphalidae Rafinesque, 1815

Diversity

633 genera
5,698 species

Type Species

Nymphalis polychloros
(Large Tortoiseshell)

Subfamilies

The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies.

These are typically fairly large butterflies, such as the emperor, admirals, tortoiseshells and fritillaries, which have very colourful wings. However, the underwings are dull and often look like dead leaves, or are much paler, which produces a cryptic effect that helps the butterfly disappear in its surroundings.

The front two legs are small, so these butterflies are effectively four-legged. The caterpillars are hairy or spiky, and the chrysalids have shiny spots.

Several species are attracted to Buddleia, a butterfly host plant.

Image:Buberel butterfly.jpg

1 Classification
2 Morphology and diagnostic characters
3 References
4 External links

[edit] Classification

There are four major clades within Nymphalidae, the danaine clade (subfamily Danainae), the satyrine clade (which includes the subfamilies Charaxinae, Satyrinae, Calinaginae and Morphinae), the heliconiine clade (including Heliconiinae and Limenitidinae excluding Biblidini, Cyrestini, Pseudergolini, and Coeini) and the nymphaline clade (including Nymphalinae, Apaturinae, and Coeini, Cyrestini, Pseudergolini, and Biblidini from the Limenitidinae). The danaine clade is the most basal group and the heliconiine and nymphaline are sister groups.<ref name="wahlberg">Wahlberg, N., E. Weingartner, and S. Nylin (2003) Towards a better understanding of the higher systematics of Nymphalidae (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea) Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 28:473–484 [1]</ref>

The current classification of Nymphalidae includes the following subfamilies:

Apaturinae
Biblidinae
Calinaginae
Charaxinae
Cyrestinae
Danainae
Heliconiinae
Libytheinae
Limenitidinae
Morphinae
Nymphalinae
Satyrinae

Species include:

Archdukes, genus Lexias
Brown (or Scarlet) peacock, Anartia amathea
California tortoiseshell, Nymphalis californica
Comma, Polygonia c-album
Common buckeye, Junonia coenia
Cracker butterflies, genus Hamadryas
Crimson Patch, Chlosyne janais
Gatekeeper Butterfly, Pyronia tithonus
Gulf Fritillary, Argyronome laodice
Lorquin's Admiral, Limenitis lorquini
Malachite, Siproeta stelenes
Marsh Fritillary, Euphydryas aurinia
Meadow Brown, Maniolis jurtina
Mourning cloak, Nymphalis antiopa
Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexipus
Morpho
- Blue Morpho, Morpho menelaus
- Sunset Morpho, Morpho hecuba
Niobe Fritillary, Argynnis niobe
One-spotted prepona, Archaeoprepona demophon
Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui
Peacock, Inachis io
Queen (butterfly), Danaus gilippus
Question Mark, Polygonia interrogationis
Red Admiral, Vanessa atalanta
Sara Longwing, Heliconius sara
Silver-washed Fritillary, Argynnis paphia
Small Heath, Coenonympha pamphilus
Small Tortoiseshell, Nymphalis urticae
Speckled Wood, Pararge aegeria
White peacock, Anartia jatrophae

The classification shown here follows most modern taxonomists in relegating the following well known butterfly families to the status of subfamilies of the Nymphalidae:

the Satyridae or Browns
the Danaidae or Milkweed butterfly
the Heliconiidae, colourful tropical butterflies noted for Müllerian mimicry
the Libytheidae, or snout butterflies

[edit] Morphology and diagnostic characters

Imago. Fore wing; submedian, or vein 1, simple, in one subfamily forked near base ; median vein with three branches, veins 2, 3 and 4; veins 5 and 6 arising from the points of junction of the discocellulars; subcostal vein and its continuation beyond apex of cell, vein 7, with never more than four branches, veins 8-11 ; 8 and 9 always arising from vein 7, 10 and also 11 sometimes from vein 7 but more often free, i.e. given off by the subcostal vein before apex of cell.

Hind wing: internal (1 a) and precostal veins present. Cell in both wings closed or open, often closed in the fore, open in the hind wing. Dorsal margin of hind wing channelled to receive the abdomen in many of the forms.

Antennae always with two grooves on the underside; club variable in shape. Throughout the family the front pair of legs in the male, and with three exceptions (Libythea, Pseudergolis and Calinaga) in the female also, is reduced in size and functionally impotent; in some the atrophy of the fore legs is considerable, e.g. Danainae and Satyrinae In many of the forms of these subfamilies the fore legs are kept pressed against the underside of the thorax, and are in the male often very inconspicuous.<ref>Bingham, C.T. (1905) Fauna of British India. Butterflies. Vol. 1.</ref>

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Nymphalidae thumbnail images and species list, Butterflies of North America web site, United States Geological Survey Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center.
"Nymphalidae", Nymphalidae Systematics Group, Stockholm University.
"Family Nymphalidae", Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility (2003).
Peter Chew, "Danaids and Browns - Family Nymphalidae", Brisbane butterflies web site (2005).