butterflies
Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...
of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''
Pseudoneptis
''Pseudoneptis'' is a butterfly genus in the family Nymphalidae. It contains only one species ''Pseudoneptis bugandensis'', the blue sailer or blue sergeant. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Camero ...
'').
Description
The head is rather broad and moderately hairy on the forehead. The eyes are large and prominent. The palpi are short, acute, slender, hairy, and do not rise above the level of the forehead. The antennae are moderately long, terminating in an elongate, gradually-formed club, flattened on its upper surface. The thorax is not robust and it is as broad as the head and slightly hairy posteriorly. The wing characters are: forewings elongate, rather truncate; costa only slightly arched; apex not acute, but well marked; hind margin slightly convex and sinuated; anal angle distinct; inner-margin convex near base, slightly concave about middle. Hindwings large, rounded; costa strongly arched; hind margin moderately dentate; inner margins only slightly convex, not covering posterior portion of the abdomen. Upperside patterning consists of white spots and bars (some species have orange or yellow bars) on a black ground colour. Underside patterns are yellowish to reddish brown, alternating with white bands The legs are rather short and stout. The abdomen is slender, much compressed and rather elongate.
The head of the larva is very large and bifid on its summit. There is a pair of downy, elongate, tubercular processes, projecting laterally, on both the second and third segments—those on the third segment are much longer. There is an upright pyramidal process on the penultimate segment and the body is attenuated posteriorly.
The pupa is strongly curved (thick in central portion). The head is deeply bifid.
File:BimbisaraNashona 288 1.jpg, ''Neptis nashona'' showing undersides. In ''Neptis'' both sexes have similar wing markings but females are larger.
File:EntNews3PlateIXNeptis.jpg , African ''Neptis''. Distinguishing the species involves study of the configuration of the white spots, bars and submarginal lines on both wing surfaces.
File:TransEntSocLond1921Plate21.jpg, African ''Neptis''. Plate accompanying a classic study by
Harry Eltringham
Harry Eltringham FRS (18 May 1873, South Shields – 26 November 1941, Stroud) was an English histologist and entomologist who specialised in Lepidoptera. Life
He had been awarded a Master of Science (Cantab and Oxon) and a Doctor o ...
File:HorsfieldMoorCatalogueEastIndiaCompanyLepidopteraPlateV.jpg, Larva and pupa, figures 10 and 10a
Distribution
About 65 species occur 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 ...
, over 40 in the
Palearctic realm
The Palearctic or Palaearctic is the largest of the eight biogeographic realms of the Earth. It stretches across all of Eurasia north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa.
The realm consists of several bioregions: the Euro-Sibe ...
6 in the
Australasian realm
The Australasian realm is a biogeographic realm that is coincident with, but not (by some definitions) the same as, the geographical region of Australasia. The realm includes Australia, the island of New Guinea (comprising Papua New Guinea and ...
and about 50 occur in the
Indomalayan realm
The Indomalayan realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms. It extends across most of South and Southeast Asia and into the southern parts of East Asia.
Also called the Oriental realm by biogeographers, Indomalaya spreads all over the Indi ...
.
Habitat
''Neptis'' are forest, including rainforest and secondary forest, butterflies. They are also found in lightly wooded areas and gardens.
Rhamnaceae
The Rhamnaceae are a large family of flowering plants, mostly trees, shrubs, and some vines, commonly called the buckthorn family. Rhamnaceae is included in the order Rosales.
The family contains about 55 genera and 950 species. The Rhamnaceae h ...
,
Euphorbiaceae
Euphorbiaceae, the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of a genus in the family. Most spurges, such as ''Euphorbia paralias'', are herbs, but some, e ...
,
Polygonaceae
The Polygonaceae are a family of flowering plants known informally as the knotweed family or smartweed—buckwheat family in the United States. The name is based on the genus ''Polygonum'', and was first used by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789 ...
,
Sapindaceae
The Sapindaceae are a family of flowering plants in the order Sapindales known as the soapberry family. It contains 138 genera and 1858 accepted species. Examples include horse chestnut, maples, ackee and lychee.
The Sapindaceae occur in tempera ...
,
Urticaceae
The Urticaceae are a family, the nettle family, of flowering plants. The family name comes from the genus ''Urtica''. The Urticaceae include a number of well-known and useful plants, including nettles in the genus ''Urtica'', ramie (''Boehmeri ...
and
Connaraceae
Connaraceae is a pan-tropical plant family of 19 genera and more than 180 species of largely evergreen trees, woody shrubs and climbers.
The family was first described by Robert Brown in 1816 and the name has been conserved.
Distribution
Connar ...
.
Adults have a "sailing" flight flapping their wings and then gliding. They frequently perch and visit flowers for nectar and damp patches where they imbibe salts and other nutrients. Adult uppersides exhibit
disruptive coloration
Disruptive coloration (also known as disruptive camouflage or disruptive patterning) is a form of camouflage that works by breaking up the outlines of an animal, soldier or military vehicle with a strongly contrasting pattern. It is often comb ...
, This species has been observed to make sounds whose function has not been established.Scott, F.W. (1968). Sound produced by ''Neptis hylas'' (Nymphalidae). ''Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society'' 22(4):254
Pantoporia
''Pantoporia'' is a genus of Asian butterflies sometimes called the lascars. They are predominantly with striped patterns of orange and black.
Species in the genus include:
* '' Pantoporia antara'' (Moore, 1858)
* '' Pantoporia assamica'' (Moore ...
'', in which the white wing markings are replaced by orange and to ''
Athyma
''Athyma'' is a genus of brush-footed butterflies. They are commonly known as the "true" or "typical" sergeants, to distinguish them from the false sergeants of the genus ''Pseudathyma'', a fairly close relative from the Adoliadini tribe. The ge ...
'' resemble ''Neptis'' but have more triangular forewings. The
type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specimen ...
Neptis agatha
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'').
Descri ...
'' Cramer 1782
* ''
Neptis agouale
''Neptis agouale'', the common club-dot sailer , is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democra ...
'' Pierre-Baltus, 1978
* ''
Neptis alta
''Neptis alta'', the old sailer or high sailer, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the southern part of the Democr ...
'' Overlaet, 1955
* ''
Neptis alwina
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'').
Descri ...
'' Bremer & Grey, 1853
* ''
Neptis amieti
''Neptis amieti'' is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Gabon
Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the ...
Neptis arachne
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'').
Descri ...
Neptis aurivillii
''Neptis aurivillii'' is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia. The habitat consists of montane and sub-montane forests.
The larvae feed on ''Macaranga
''Macaranga'' is a large genus of Old W ...
Neptis carcassoni
''Neptis carcassoni'', or Carcasson's sailer, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique and eastern Zimbabwe. The habitat consists of lowland forests.
Adults are on wing nearly year round.
The ...
'' van Son, 1959 – Carcasson's streaked sailer
* ''
Neptis carlsbergi
''Neptis carlsbergi'', the Carlsberg sailer, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal R ...
Neptis cartica
''Neptis cartica'', the plain sailer, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in South Asia
South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical
Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combina ...
Neptis clarei
''Neptis clarei'', or Clare's sailer, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Uganda, western Kenya and possibly north-western Tanzania. The habitat consists of forests.
The larvae feed on ''Paullinia pinnata
''Paullinia pinn ...
Neptis cormilloti
''Neptis cormilloti'' is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are ...
Neptis dumetorum
''Neptis dumetorum'' is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found on Réunion in the Indian Ocean.
Host plants
Known host plants of this butterfly are: '' Acalypha wilkesiana'', '' Trochetia granulata'', '' Sida carpinifolia'' (Malvac ...
'' Boisduval, 1833
* ''
Neptis duryodana
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'').
Descri ...
Neptis esakii
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'').
Descri ...
'' Nomura, 1935
* ''
Neptis exaleuca
''Neptis exaleuca'' is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found from Cameroon to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and in Uganda and Tanzania
Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungan ...
'' Karsch, 1894
* ''
Neptis felisimilis
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterfly, butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'' ...
Neptis gracilis
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'').
Descri ...
Neptis hesione
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'').
Descri ...
Neptis katama
''Neptis katama'' is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Kenya (the Aberdare Range
The Aberdare Range (formerly the Sattima Range, Kikuyu: ''Nyandarua'') is a 160 km (100 mile) long mountain range of upland, north of K ...
Neptis kiriakoffi
''Neptis kiriakoffi'', or Kiriakoff's sailer, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Sub-Saharan Africa. The habitat consists of forests and ''Brachystegia'' woodland.
Its wingspan is 40–48 mm in males and 45–52  ...
Neptis latvitta
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'').
Descri ...
'' Strand, 1909
* ''
Neptis lermanni
''Neptis lermanni'' is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally ...
Neptis lugubris
''Neptis lugubris'' is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in south-western Uganda, Kenya and the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique ...
Neptis marci
''Neptis marci'' is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RD ...
Neptis mayottensis
''Neptis mayottensis'' is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are ...
Neptis meloria
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'').
Descri ...
Neptis nandina
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'').
Descri ...
Neptis nashona
''Neptis nashona'', the less rich sailer, is a nymphalid butterfly found in Asia. The species was first described by Charles Swinhoe
Colonel Charles Swinhoe (27 August 1838, in CalcuttaAlthough many published sources give 1836, the India Offic ...
Neptis nausicaa
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'').
Descri ...
'' de Nicéville, 1897
* ''
Neptis nebrodes
''Neptis nebrodes'', the broken-club sailer, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo ...
'' Hewitson, 1874
* ''
Neptis nemetes
''Neptis nemetes'', commonly known as the Nemetes sailer, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in western, central and eastern Africa. The habitat consists of lowland forests and riverine thicket.
The larvae feed on Asteraceae s ...
Neptis nisaea
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'').
Descri ...
Neptis noyala
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'').
Descri ...
Neptis nysiades
''Neptis nysiades'', the variable sailer, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola and Zambia. The habitat consists ...
Neptis penningtoni
''Neptis penningtoni'', or Pennington's sailer, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in south-eastern Kenya, western Tanzania, Zambia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and South Africa (Limpopo). The habitat consists of ''Brachystegia'' wood ...
'' van Son, 1977 – Pennington's sailer
* ''
Neptis philyra
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterfly, butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'' ...
Neptis praslini
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'').
Descri ...
Neptis radha
''Neptis radha'', the great yellow sailer, is a species of Nymphalidae, nymphalid butterfly found in Asia.Neptis reducta'' Fruhstorfer, 1908
* '' Neptis rivularis'' (Scopoli, 1763) – Hungarian glider
* ''
Neptis rogersi
''Neptis rogersi'' is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found along the coasts of Kenya and Tanzania. The habitat consists of coastal forests.
The larvae feed on ''Paullinia pinnata'' and ''Alchornea cordifolia
''Alchornea cordifol ...
Neptis sappho
''Neptis sappho'', the Pallas' sailer or common glider, is a nymphalid butterfly found in Central Europe, Russia, India and other parts of temperate Asia and Japan.Neptis satina
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'').
Descri ...
Neptis serena
''Neptis serena'', the serene sailer or river sailer, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Repu ...
Neptis stellata
''Neptis stellata'' is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Gabon
Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the ...
Neptis swynnertoni
''Neptis swynnertoni'', or Swynnerton's sailer, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in southern Malawi, west central Mozambique and eastern Zimbabwe. The habitat consists of montane forests
Montane ecosystems are found on t ...
Neptis thestias
''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''Pseudoneptis'').
Descri ...
Neptis trigonophora
''Neptis trigonophora'', the barred sailer, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in southern Africa.
Wingspan is 45–50 mm in males and 48–55 mm in females. Adults are on the wing possibly year round with peak from ...
'' Butler, 1878 – barred sailer
* ''
Neptis troundi
''Neptis troundi'', the constricted club-dot sailer, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo and the western part of the Democratic ...
Neptis vikasi
''Neptis vikasi'', the dingy sailer, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in Asia, from north-eastern India to Burma and northern Indochina
Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continent ...