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 ...
Theclinae is a group of
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 ...
, often referred to as hairstreaks, with some species instead known as elfins or by other names. The group is part of 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 "gossamer-winged butterflies". There are many
tropical
The tropics are the regions of Earth surrounding the Equator. They are defined in latitude by the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere at N and the Tropic of Capricorn in
the Southern Hemisphere at S. The tropics are also referred to ...
species as well as a number found in the
Americas
The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World.
Along with th ...
. Tropical hairstreaks often have iridescent blue coloration above, caused by reflected light from the structure of the wing scales rather than by pigment. Hairstreaks from
North America
North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere and almost entirely within the Western Hemisphere. It is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South America and the Car ...
are commonly brown above. Few Theclinae are migratory. Members of this group are described as 'thecline'.
Systematics
The
systematics
Biological systematics is the study of the diversification of living forms, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees (synonyms: cladograms, phylogenetic tre ...
and
phylogeny
A phylogenetic tree (also phylogeny or evolutionary tree Felsenstein J. (2004). ''Inferring Phylogenies'' Sinauer Associates: Sunderland, MA.) is a branching diagram or a tree showing the evolutionary relationships among various biological spec ...
of the numerous Theclinae has not reached a robust consensus yet. The arrangement presented here is based on Savela (2007), but be aware that it is probably oversplit and several
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 may not be valid. Nonetheless, the tribes as listed here generally seem to represent
monophyletic
In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...
lineages, but whether this is indeed so and whether these are distinct enough to warrant this level of separation remains to be resolved.
The former tribe Aphnaeini has now been given subfamily status (see Aphnaeinae)., 2015. Phylogeny of the Aphnaeinae: myrmecophilous African butterflies with carnivorous and herbivorous life histories. ''Systematic entomology'' 40(1): 169–182.
Tribes
The subfamily includes the following tribes:
* Amblypodiini
*
Arhopalini
The Arhopalini are a rather small tribe of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae.
Genera
As not all Theclinae have been assigned to tribes, the following list of genera is preliminary:
* ''Apporasa''
* ''Arhopala''
* ''Flos''
* ''Keraunogramma ...
*
Catapaecilmatini
The Catapaecilmatini are a small tribe of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae.
Genera
The tribe contains a mere two genera at present, but as not all Theclinae
The subfamily Theclinae is a group of butterflies, often referred to as hairstr ...
*
Cheritrini
The Cheritrini are a small tribe of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae; they contain the imperials and allies. Their closest living relatives seem to be the Horagini; indeed, the genus ''Ahmetia'' (formerly called ''Cowania'') was in the past ...
*
Deudorigini
The Deudorigini are a tribe of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae.
Genera
As not all Theclinae have been assigned to tribes, the following list of genera is preliminary:
* ''Araotes''
* '' Artipe''
* ''Bindahara''
*_''Capys_(butterfly).html ...
*
Eumaeini
The Eumaeini are a tribe of gossamer-winged butterflies (family Lycaenidae). They are typically placed in the subfamily Theclinae, but sometimes considered a separate subfamily Eumaeinae. Over 1,000 species are found in the Neotropical realm
Sys ...
*
Horagini
The Horagini are a small tribe of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. '' Ahmetia'' (formerly called ''Cowania''), sometimes placed here, rather seems to belong to the Cheritrini however, but these are probably the Horagini's closest living r ...
*
Hypolycaenini
The Hypolycaenini are a small tribe of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. It is alternatively treated as a subtribe, Hypolycaenina, of the Theclini.
Genera
As not all Theclinae have been assigned to tribes, the following list of genera is pr ...
*
Hypotheclini
The Hypotheclini are a small tribe of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae.
Genera
The tribe contains a mere 2 genera at present, but as not all Theclinae
The subfamily Theclinae is a group of butterflies, often referred to as hairstreaks, ...
*
Iolaini
The Iolaini are a tribe of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae.
Genera
As not all Theclinae have been assigned to tribes, the following list of genera is preliminary:
* ''Britomartis''
* '' Bullis''
* ''Charana''
* ''Creon''
* '' Dacalana''
...
*
Loxurini
The Loxurini are a small tribe of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae.
Genera
As not all Theclinae have been assigned to tribes, the genus list is preliminary. '' Dapidodigma'', sometimes placed here, rather seems to belong to the Cheritrini ...
*
Luciini
The Luciini are a tribe of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae.
Genera
Though containing few genera at present, some of these have numerous species. As not all Theclinae have been assigned to tribes, the following list of genera is prelimina ...
*
Oxylidini
The Oxylidini are a small tribe of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae.Remelanini
*
Theclini
The Theclini are a tribe of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. As not all Theclinae have been assigned to tribes, the genus list is preliminary.
Genera
* '' Amblopala''
* '' Antigius''
* '' Araragi''
* '' Artopoetes''
* '' Austrozephyrus' ...
Zesiini
The Zesiini are a small tribe of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae.; see also https://www.australian-insects.com/lepidoptera/lyca/chlorin.html;
Genera
As not all Theclinae have been assigned to tribes, the following list of genera is prelimin ...
Genera of ''incertae sedis''
The following
genera
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nomenclat ...
have not yet been assigned to a tribe:
* '' Bithys''
* '' Gigantorubra''
* ''
Macusia
''Evenus'' is a butterfly genus in the family Lycaenidae, with species ranging from North to South America.
Species list
* '' Evenus regalis'' (Cramer, 1775) – type species
In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') ...
Orcya
''Orcya'' 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- ...
''
* ''
Pamela
Pamela may refer to:
*''Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded'', a novel written by Samuel Richardson in 1740
*Pamela (name), a given name and, rarely, a surname
* Pamela Spence, a Turkish pop-rock singer. Known as her stage name "Pamela"
* MSC ''Pamela'', ...
Serratofalca
''Calycopis'' is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae. Massively split up by Kurt Johnson in 1991, most modern authors consider the changes proposed at that time to be unjustified. Most of the species of this genus are found in the ...
''
* ''
Terra
Terra may often refer to:
* Terra (mythology), primeval Roman goddess
* An alternate name for planet Earth, as well as the Latin name for the planet
Terra may also refer to: Geography Astronomy
* Terra (satellite), a multi-national NASA scienti ...
* Glassberg, Jeffrey ''Butterflies through Binoculars, The West'' (2001)
* James, David G. and Nunnallee, David ''Life Histories of Cascadia Butterflies'' (2011)
* Pelham, Jonathan ''Catalogue of the Butterflies of the United States and Canada'' (2008)
* Pyle, Robert Michael ''The Butterflies of Cascadia'' (2002)