''Protogoniomorpha'' is a genus of

nymphalid 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 red ...

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 ...

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 ...

, commonly known as mother-of-pearls.

Taxonomy

''Protogoniomorpha'' was viewed as part of '' Salamis'' by Ackery et al. (1995). Based on phylogenetic research, the group was reinstated as distinct genus, with some members possibly needing further reassignment.

Species

* ''

Protogoniomorpha anacardii ''Protogoniomorpha anacardii'', the clouded mother-of-pearl, is a species of Nymphalidae butterfly found in tropical Africa. The wingspan is 55–68 mm for males and 65–75 mm for females. Its flight period is year-round, peaking in ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1758) — clouded mother-of-pearl * '' Protogoniomorpha cytora'' (Doubleday, 1847) — western blue beauty * '' Protogoniomorpha duprei'' Vinson, 1863 — Madagascan mother-of-pearl (sometimes listed as a subspecies of ''P. anacardii'') * ''

Protogoniomorpha parhassus ''Protogoniomorpha parhassus'', the forest mother-of-pearl or common mother-of-pearl,Williams, M. (1994). ''Butterflies of Southern Africa; A Field Guide''. . is a species of Nymphalidae butterfly found in forested areas of Africa. Subspecies *' ...

'' (Druce, 1782) — common mother-of-pearl or forest mother-of-pearl * ''

Protogoniomorpha temora ''Protogoniomorpha temora'', the blue mother-of-pearl or eastern blue beauty, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of ...

'' Felder, 1867 — blue mother-of-pearl

References

*
Seitz, A. ''Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde'' 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 50
Junoniini Butterfly genera Taxa named by Hans Daniel Johan Wallengren {{Nymphalinae-stub