''Potanthus'' is a large

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

skipper butterflies Skippers are a family of the Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) named the Hesperiidae. Being diurnal, they are generally called butterflies. They were previously placed in a separate superfamily, Hesperioidea; however, the most recent taxonomy ...

. They are commonly known as darts. They are found from

South Asia South Asia is the southern subregion of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The region consists of the countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.;;;;;;;; ...

East Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea and ...

, and down to maritime Southeast Asia (though not extending towards

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

). It includes about 35 species, all of which look very similar to each other and are often only reliably identifiable through the examination of the male genitalia. ''Potanthus'' species are sun-loving diurnal flyers. They are usually found in

primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...

and

secondary forests A secondary forest (or second-growth forest) is a forest or woodland area which has re-grown after a timber harvest or clearing for agriculture, until a long enough period has passed so that the effects of the disturbance are no longer evident. ...

, as well as in partly cleared areas,

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses (Poaceae). However, sedge (Cyperaceae) and rush (Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur natur ...

s, and near small villages. Occasionally they may be found in

swamp A swamp is a forested wetland.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p. Swamps are considered to be transition zones because both land and water play a role in ...

s and

mangrove forest Mangrove forests, also called mangrove swamps, mangrove thickets or mangals, are productive wetlands that occur in coastal intertidal zones. Mangrove forests grow mainly at tropical and subtropical latitudes because mangroves cannot withstand fr ...

s. The larvae feed on '' Bambusa'' (bamboo) and '' Dendrocalamus'' (both Gramineae). It includes the following species: :*''

Potanthus amor ''Potanthus'' is a large genus of skipper butterflies. They are commonly known as darts. They are found from South Asia to East Asia, and down to maritime Southeast Asia (though not extending towards New Guinea). It includes about 35 species, a ...

'' Evans, 1932 -

Timor Timor is an island at the southern end of Maritime Southeast Asia, in the north of the Timor Sea. The island is East Timor–Indonesia border, divided between the sovereign states of East Timor on the eastern part and Indonesia on the western p ...

Sumba Sumba ( id, Pulau Sumba) is an island in eastern Indonesia. It is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands and is in the province of East Nusa Tenggara. Sumba has an area of , and the population was 779,049 at the 2020 Census; the official estimate as a ...

, and Oinanaisa :*''

Potanthus chloe ''Potanthus'' is a large genus of skipper butterflies. They are commonly known as darts. They are found from South Asia to East Asia, and down to maritime Southeast Asia (though not extending towards New Guinea). It includes about 35 species, a ...

'' Eliot, 1960 - endemic to Malaysia :*''

Potanthus confucius ''Potanthus confucius'', the Chinese dart or Confucian dart, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae. They are found from Sri Lanka, India to China and Japan and down to Sumatra and Java in Indonesia. Some museum specimens have also be ...

'' (Chinese dart or Confucian dart) :*''

Potanthus dara ''Potanthus'' is a large genus of skipper butterflies. They are commonly known as darts. They are found from South Asia to East Asia, and down to maritime Southeast Asia (though not extending towards New Guinea). It includes about 35 species, a ...

'' (Kollar, 1845) - Himalayas, Indo-China, Malaysia :*''

Potanthus diffusus ''Potanthus'' is a large genus of skipper butterflies. They are commonly known as darts. They are found from South Asia to East Asia, and down to maritime Southeast Asia (though not extending towards New Guinea). It includes about 35 species, a ...

'' Hsu, Tsukiyama & Chiba, 2005 - endemic to Taiwan :*''

Potanthus fettingi ''Potanthus'' is a large genus of skipper butterflies. They are commonly known as darts. They are found from South Asia to East Asia, and down to maritime Southeast Asia (though not extending towards New Guinea). It includes about 35 species, a ...

'' (Möschler, 1878) - Sundaland, Sulawesi, and the Philippines :*''

Potanthus flavus ''Potanthus flavus'' is a butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found from the Amur region of Russia to Japan, as well as in Thailand, the Philippines and China (Jilin, Hebei, Shandong, Hunan, Fujian and Yunnan). The wingspan The wings ...

'' (Murray, 1875) -

Amur The Amur (russian: река́ Аму́р, ), or Heilong Jiang (, "Black Dragon River", ), is the world's List of longest rivers, tenth longest river, forming the border between the Russian Far East and Northeast China, Northeastern China (Inne ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, China, the Philippines, and

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

:*'' Potanthus juno'' (Evans, 1932) -

Assam Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...

to the Malay Peninsula,

Zhejiang Zhejiang ( or , ; , also romanized as Chekiang) is an eastern, coastal province of the People's Republic of China. Its capital and largest city is Hangzhou, and other notable cities include Ningbo and Wenzhou. Zhejiang is bordered by Jiang ...

:*'' Potanthus ganda'' (Fruhstorfer, 1911) - Assam, Indochina, southern China,

Sundaland Sundaland (also called Sundaica or the Sundaic region) is a biogeographical region of South-eastern Asia corresponding to a larger landmass that was exposed throughout the last 2.6 million years during periods when sea levels were lower. It ...

, and

Calamian The Calamian Islands or the Calamianes is a group of islands in the province of Palawan, Philippines. It includes: * Busuanga Island * Coron Island * Culion Island * Calauit Island * Malcapuya Island * Banana Island * Pass Island * Calumbuyan Isl ...

Palawan Palawan (), officially the Province of Palawan ( cyo, Probinsya i'ang Palawan; tl, Lalawigan ng Palawan), is an archipelagic province of the Philippines that is located in the region of Mimaropa. It is the largest province in the country in ...

:*''

Potanthus hetaerus ''Potanthus'' is a large genus of skipper butterflies. They are commonly known as darts. They are found from South Asia to East Asia, and down to maritime Southeast Asia (though not extending towards New Guinea). It includes about 35 species, ...

'' (Mabille, 1883) - the Philippines, and Sulawesi :*''

Potanthus ilion ''Potanthus'' is a large genus of skipper butterflies. They are commonly known as darts. They are found from South Asia to East Asia, and down to maritime Southeast Asia (though not extending towards New Guinea). It includes about 35 species, ...

'' (de Nicéville, 1897) - endemic to Lombok :*'' Potanthus lydia'' (Evans, 1934) - western China to the Malay Peninsula :*''

Potanthus mara ''Potanthus'' is a large genus of skipper butterflies. They are commonly known as darts. They are found from South Asia to East Asia, and down to maritime Southeast Asia (though not extending towards New Guinea). It includes about 35 species, ...

'' (Evans, 1932) (Sikkim dart) - endemic to Tibet :*'' Potanthus motzui'' Hsu, Li & Li, 1990 - endemic to Taiwan :*'' Potanthus mingo'' (Edwards, 1866) - the Philippines, Java, Assam, Burma, Indochina, and Yunnan :*'' Potanthus miyashitai'' Fujioka & Tsukiyama, 1975 :*'' Potanthus nesta'' (Evans, 1934) -

Yunnan Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...

and

Sichuan Sichuan (; zh, c=, labels=no, ; zh, p=Sìchuān; alternatively romanized as Szechuan or Szechwan; formerly also referred to as "West China" or "Western China" by Protestant missions) is a province in Southwest China occupying most of the ...

, China :*'' Potanthus niobe'' (Evans, 1934) - endemic to the Philippines :*'' Potanthus omaha'' (Edwards, 1863) - Burma to Indochina, Tawi-Tawi and

Mindanao Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...

in the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

Sulawesi Sulawesi (), also known as Celebes (), is an island in Indonesia. One of the four Greater Sunda Islands, and the world's eleventh-largest island, it is situated east of Borneo, west of the Maluku Islands, and south of Mindanao and the Sulu Ar ...

and Sumbawa :*'' Potanthus pallida'' (Evans, 1932) (pallid dart) - Sri Lanka, India, southern China, and southern Thailand :*''

Potanthus palnia ''Potanthus palnia'', commonly known as the Palni dart, is a butterfly belonging to the family Hesperiidae found in India and Indochina Mainland Southeast Asia, also known as the Indochinese Peninsula or Indochina, is the continental portio ...

'' (Evans, 1914) (Palni dart) - the

Palni Hills The Palani Hills are a mountain range in the southern Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu. The Palani Hills are an eastward extension of the Western Ghats ranges, which run parallel to the west coast of India. The Palani Hills adjoin the hi ...

of southern India, Burma to Sumatra, southeastern Tibet and China :*'' Potanthus pamela'' (Evans, 1934) :*'' Potanthus parvus'' Johnson & Johnson, 1980 :*'' Potanthus pava'' (Fruhstorfer, 1911) (Pava dart) - Taiwan, India, Indochina, Malay Peninsula, Philippines, and Sulawesi :*'' Potanthus pseudomaesa'' (Moore, 1882)(Indian dart) - lower Himalayas, India, Sri Lanka, Yunnan :*''

Potanthus rectifasciata ''Potanthus'' is a large genus of skipper butterflies. They are commonly known as darts. They are found from South Asia to East Asia, and down to maritime Southeast Asia (though not extending towards New Guinea). It includes about 35 species, ...

'' (Elwes & Edwards, 1897) (branded dart) -

Sikkim Sikkim (; ) is a state in Northeastern India. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China in the north and northeast, Bhutan in the east, Province No. 1 of Nepal in the west and West Bengal in the south. Sikkim is also close to the Siligur ...

to the

Malay Peninsula The Malay Peninsula (Malay: ''Semenanjung Tanah Melayu'') is a peninsula in Mainland Southeast Asia. The landmass runs approximately north–south, and at its terminus, it is the southernmost point of the Asian continental mainland. The area ...

:*'' Potanthus riefenstahli'' Huang, 2003 - Yunnan :*''

Potanthus serina ''Potanthus serina'', the large dart, is a species of butterfly of the family Hesperiidae. It is found on the Andamans, as well as in southern Burma, Singapore and the Philippines. The habitat consists of grassy areas and mangrove areas. The w ...

'' Plötz, 1883) (large dart) - Burma to Indochina, the Philippines :*'' Potanthus sita'' (Evans, 1932) :*'' Potanthus taqini'' Huang, 2001 - endemic to Tibet :*'' Potanthus tibetana'' Huang, 2002 - Tibet and Yunnan :*'' Potanthus trachala'' (Mabille, 1878) - India, Indochina, Malaysia, and southern China :*'' Potanthus upadhana'' (Fruhstorfer, 1911) -

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's List ...

, Lombok :*''

Potanthus wilemanni ''Potanthus'' is a large genus of skipper butterflies. They are commonly known as darts. They are found from South Asia to East Asia, and down to maritime Southeast Asia (though not extending towards New Guinea). It includes about 35 species, a ...

'' (Evans, 1934) - Taiwan :*''

Potanthus yani ''Potanthus'' is a large genus of skipper butterflies. They are commonly known as darts. They are found from South Asia to East Asia, and down to maritime Southeast Asia (though not extending towards New Guinea). It includes about 35 species, a ...

'' Huang, 2002 - China

Gallery

File:Potanthus_pseudomaesa,_Kerala,_India_2009-10-18.jpg, The Indian dart ('' Potanthus pseudomaesa'') from

Kerala Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

File:Potanthus flavus1.jpg, ''

'' from

File:Potanthus niobe - Philippines (1).jpg, '' Potanthus niobe'' from

, Philippines File:Lesser Dart Potanthus omaha omaha. DSCF6561 (14). Singapore.JPG, '' Potanthus omaha'' from

Singapore Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...

File:Potanthus pava - Luzon, Philippines.jpg, '' Potanthus pava'' from

Luzon Luzon (; ) is the largest and most populous island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the Philippines archipelago, it is the economic and political center of the nation, being home to the country's capital city, Manila, as ...

, Philippines

References

External links

Images representing ''Potanthus''
at Consortium for the Barcode of Life
Images representing ''Potanthus''
at Encyclopedia of Life {{Taxonbar, from=Q7234667 Hesperiidae genera