The Nymphalinae are a

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 ...

brush-footed butterflies 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 usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a redu ...

(

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Nymphalidae). Sometimes, the subfamilies

Limenitidinae The Limenitidinae are a subfamily of butterflies that includes the admirals and relatives. The common names of many species and genera reference military ranks or – namely the Adoliadini – titles of nobility (e.g., count, duke, earl, an ...

, and

Biblidinae Biblidinae is a subfamily of nymphalid butterflies that includes the tropical brushfoots. This subfamily was sometimes merged within the Limenitidinae, but they are now recognized as quite distinct lineages. In older literature, this subfami ...

are included here as subordinate

tribe The term tribe is used in many different contexts to refer to a category of human social group. The predominant worldwide usage of the term in English language, English is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in p ...

(s), while the tribe

Melitaeini 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 Helic ...

is occasionally regarded as a distinct subfamily.

Systematics

The traditionally recognized tribes of Nymphalinae are here listed in the presumed

phylogenetic In biology, phylogenetics (; from Greek φυλή/ φῦλον [] "tribe, clan, race", and wikt:γενετικός, γενετικός [] "origin, source, birth") is the study of the evolutionary history and relationships among or within groups o ...

sequence:See references in Savela (2010) *

Coeini Coeini is a tribe of brush-footed butterflies.Tribe Coeini ...

(six or seven genera) *

Nymphalini Nymphalini is a tribe of nymphalid brush-footed butterflies. Common names include admirals, anglewings, commas, and tortoiseshells, but none of these is specific to one particular genus. The name anglewing butterflies is an English translation ...

– anglewings, tortoiseshells and relatives (about 15 genera, two are fossil) *

Kallimini Kallimini is a tribe of brush-footed butterflies. List of genera * '' Catacroptera'' Karsch, 1894 – pirates * '' Doleschallia'' C. & R. Felder, 1860 * ''Hypolimnas'' – eggflies, diadems (tentatively placed here) * ''Kallima'' Doubleda ...

(about five genera) *

Victorinini Victorinini is a tribe of brush-footed butterflies. The four butterfly genera contained in this tribe are ''Anartia'', ''Metamorpha'', ''Napeocles'', and ''Siproeta''. Those genera were previously included in the Kallimini tribe. In the ear ...

(four genera, formerly in Kallimini) *

Junoniini Junoniini is a tribe of nymphalid ( brush-footed) butterflies.

(about five genera) *

– fritillaries (about 25 genera) Genera ''

incertae sedis ' () or ''problematica'' is a term used for a taxonomic group where its broader relationships are unknown or undefined. Alternatively, such groups are frequently referred to as "enigmatic taxa". In the system of open nomenclature, uncertainty ...

'' are: * '' Rhinopalpa'' – the wizard * ''

Kallimoides ''Kallimoides'' is a monotypic genus of butterflies in the family Nymphalidae. It contains only one species, ''Kallimoides rumia'', the African leaf butterfly. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Bioko, Cam ...

'' Shirôzu & Nakanishi, 1984 – African leaf butterfly * ''

Vanessula ''Vanessula'' is a monotypic butterfly genus in the family Nymphalidae. It contains only one species, ''Vanessula milca'', the black and orange or lady's maid. It is found in Guinea Guinea ( ),, fuf, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫, italic=no, Gine, ...

'' Dewitz, 1887 In addition to these, '' Crenidomimas'' is sometimes placed here, but may belong in the

, genus '' Euryphura''. The

Late Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', "daw ...

fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserved ...

genus '' Lithodryas'' might belong here, but it is generally assigned to the

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 ...

References

External links

Butterflies and Moths of North America

Butterflies of America
Taxa named by William John Swainson Butterfly subfamilies - {{Nymphalinae-stub

Systematics

References

Further reading

External links