Melitaeini

Melitaeini
Pearl Crescent (Phyciodes tharos)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
(unranked):	Rhopalocera
Superfamily:	Papilionoidea
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.

Genera

The 20–25 genera of Melitaeini are divided among 5 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" Texola elada – Elada Checkerspot Subtribe Gnathotrichina Gnathotriche C. & R. Felder, 1862

Subtribe Phyciodina Anthanassa Scudder, 1875 – "crescents", "crescentspots" Anthanassa ardys – Ardys Crescent Anthanassa frisia – Cuban Crescent, Cuban Crescentspot Castilia Higgins, 1981 Dagon Higgins, 1981 Eresia Boisduval, 1836 Janatella Higgins, 1981 Mazia Higgins, 1981 Ortilia Higgins, 1981 Phyciodes – "crescents", "crescentspots" Phystis Higgins, 1981 Tegosa Higgins, 1981 Tegosa anieta Telenassa Higgins, 1981 Tisona Higgins, 1981

Footnotes

1. See references in Savela (2010)

References

• Savela, Markku (2010): Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms – Melitaeini. Version of 2010-JUN-30. Retrieved 2011-FEB-10.