''Balintus'' is a
gossamer-winged butterfly genus of the
tribe Eumaeini
The Eumaeini are a tribe of gossamer-winged butterflies (family Lycaenidae). They are typically placed in the subfamily Theclinae, but sometimes considered a separate subfamily Eumaeinae. Over 1,000 species are found in the Neotropical realm
Sys ...
in the
subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end subfamily botanical names with "-oideae", and zoologi ...
Theclinae. Its only known
species, ''Balintus tityrus'', is found in the
Neotropical realm, where it is
endemic to
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
.
"''Balintus'' D'Abrera, 2001"
at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms''
It is generally agreed that this butterfly represents a distinct lineage and is worthy of recognition at least as subgenus. However, there is some dispute about whether the name was validly established, or is a ''nomen nudum
In taxonomy, a ''nomen nudum'' ('naked name'; plural ''nomina nuda'') is a designation which looks exactly like a scientific name of an organism, and may have originally been intended to be one, but it has not been published with an adequate descr ...
''. The matter has been submitted to the ICZN
The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is a widely accepted convention in zoology that rules the formal scientific naming of organisms treated as animals. It is also informally known as the ICZN Code, for its publisher, the I ...
for discussion.
References
Eumaeini
Lycaenidae of South America
Monotypic butterfly genera
Lycaenidae genera
Taxa named by Bernard d'Abrera
{{Eumaeini-stub