Melitaeini

Genus of butterflies

Melitaeini
Pearl crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Tribe: Melitaeini
Newman, 1870
Genera

Numerous, see text

Synonyms

Melitaeinae

Melitaeini are a group of brush-footed butterflies. Usually classified as a tribe of the Nymphalinae, they are sometimes raised to subfamily status as Melitaeinae. Common names include the highly ambiguous fritillaries (also used for some Heliconiinae), checkerspots, crescents, or crescentspots, and some genus-specific names.

Chlosyne janais, Campeche, Mexico

Genera

The 20–25 genera of Melitaeini are divided among five subtribes; some species are also listed. The subtribes, in the presumed phylogenetic sequence, are:[1]

Subtribe Euphydryina

  • Euphydryas – fritillaries, checkerspots

Subtribe Melitaeina

  • Melitaea – fritillaries (including Didymaeformis, Mellicta)

Subtribe Chlosynina

  • Antillea Higgins, [1959]
  • Atlantea Higgins, [1959]
  • Chlosyne – checkerspots, patches
  • Dymasia Higgins, 1960
  • Higginsius Hemming, 1964 (tentatively placed here; Gnathotrichina?)
  • Microtia Bates, 1864
  • Poladryas Bauer, 1975
  • Texola Higgins, 1959 – checkerspots

Subtribe Gnathotrichina

Subtribe Phyciodina

Footnotes

  1. ^ See references in Savela (2010)

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Melitaeini.
  • Savela, Markku (2010): Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms – Melitaeini. Version of 30 June 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2011.
Taxon identifiers
Melitaeini
Authority control databases: National Edit this at Wikidata
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