''Capys'' is a genus of butterflies in the family

Lycaenidae Lycaenidae is the second-largest family of butterflies (behind Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies), with over 6,000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies. They constitute about 30% of the known butterfl ...

. The species of this genus are found in the

Afrotropical realm The Afrotropical realm is one of Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the majority of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the island ...

Conservation of the name

In 1819,

Jacob Hübner Jacob Hübner (20 June 1761 – 13 September 1826, in Augsburg) was a German entomologist. He was the author of ''Sammlung Europäischer Schmetterlinge'' (1796–1805), a founding work of entomology. Scientific career Hübner was the author of '' ...

published the generic name ''Scoptes'', including three species but without designating a type. The generic name was more or less forgotten afterwards.Riley, N.D. (1966). ''Scoptes Hübner

819 __NOTOC__ Year 819 (Roman numerals, DCCCXIX) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Spring – Emperor Louis the Pious, Louis I marries Judith ...

v. Capys Hewitson 1864 (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae), a case of a forgotten name. Z.N.(S.) 1748.'
Bulletin of zoological nomenclature 23(4): 165
/ref> In 1966,

Norman Denbigh Riley Norman Denbigh Riley CBE (26 September 1890 London – 26 May 1979) was a British entomologist with a special interest in the Lepidoptera and in particular the Lycaenidae. For many years he was keeper of entomology at the British Museum. His f ...

, for practical reasons, selected ''Papilio alphaeus'' Cramer, 1777, as the type species of ''Scoptes'', by which ''Scoptes'' became an objective synonym of ''Capys'', and started a case to suppress the name ''Scoptes'' for purposes of priority. In 1986, the

International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature The International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) is an organization dedicated to "achieving stability and sense in the scientific naming of animals". Founded in 1895, it currently comprises 26 commissioners from 20 countries. Orga ...

suppressed the name ''Scoptes'' (for the

principle of priority 270px, '' valid name. Priority is a fundamental principle of modern botanical nomenclature and zoological nomenclature. Essentially, it is the principle of recognising the first valid application of a name to a plant or animal. There are two asp ...

not principle of homonymy) in order to conserve the name ''Capys'' Hewitson.Tubbs, P.K. (1986). Opinion 1398, Capys Hewitson,

865 __NOTOC__ Year 865 ( DCCCLXV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * King Louis the German divides the East Frankish Kingdom among his three sons. Ca ...

(Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae): conserved
Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature 43(2): 152
/ref>

Species

*'' Capys alphaeus'' (Cramer,

777 777 may refer to: * 777 (number), a number * AD 777, a year of the Julian calendar * 777 BC, a year in the 8th century BC * Boeing 777, a commercial jet airliner :* Boeing 777X, the newer generation of the Boeing 777. Art and entertainment Alb ...

*'' Capys bamendanus'' Schultze, 1909 *'' Capys bamptoni'' Henning & Henning, 1988 *'' Capys brunneus'' Aurivillius, 1916 *'' Capys calpurnia'' Henning & Henning, 1988 *'' Capys catharus'' Riley, 1932 *'' Capys collinsi'' Henning & Henning, 1988 *''

Capys connexivus ''Capys connexivus'', the African protea butterfly, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Angola and Zimbabwe. Adults are on wing year-round, with a peak from August to November. The larvae feed on '' ...

'' Butler, 1897 *'' Capys cupreus'' Henning & Henning, 1988 *''

Capys disjunctus ''Capys disjunctus'', the russet protea, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in from the Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal, inland to Swaziland, Mpumalanga, Gauteng and Limpopo in South Africa. It is also found in Zimbabwe. The wing ...

'' Trimen, 1895 *'' Capys hermes'' Henning & Henning, 1988 *'' Capys juliae'' Henning & Henning, 1988 *'' Capys meruensis'' Henning & Henning, 1988 *'' Capys penningtoni'' Riley, 1932 *'' Capys stuarti'' Collins & Larsen, 2000 *'' Capys usambarae'' Congdon & Collins, 1998 *'' Capys vorgasi'' Larsen & Collins, 2003

References

External links

* *
"''Capys'' Hewitson, 1865"
at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms'' Deudorigini Lycaenidae genera Taxa named by William Chapman Hewitson {{Theclinae-stub