''Alesa'' is a New World (

Neotropical realm The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropics, tropical Ecoregion#Terrestrial, terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperat ...

)

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of metalmark butterflies found in northern South America. This genus is distinguished by a vast

sexual dimorphism Sexual dimorphism is the condition where sexes of the same species exhibit different Morphology (biology), morphological characteristics, including characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most dioecy, di ...

receding somewhat only in one species. The body is slender, the head is broad and slanting, with a flat forehead and closely appressed (flattened) short palpi. The antennae are very long, only slightly thickened at their ends. The abdomen is long, in the male thin, in the female stout, but likewise stretched. The forewings are long with a very oblique distal margin. The hindwings are round, especially in the female. Cells of all the wings closed, the upper radial originates with the 3rd subcostal vein from the same place. Colouring of the females is earthy brown, that of the males varying, but with a metallic lustre.

Species

Listed alphabetically:''Alesa''
funet.fu *'' Alesa amesis'' (Cramer, 1777) – Amesis metalmark – present in

French Guiana French Guiana, or Guyane in French, is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west ...

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

and

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

. *'' Alesa fournierae'' Lathy, 1958 present in Brazil. *'' Alesa hemiurga'' Bates, 1867 – hemiurga metalmark – present in Brazil. *'' Alesa lipara'' Bates, 1867 – Lipara metalmark – present in Brazil. *'' Alesa prema'' (Godart,

824 __NOTOC__ Year 824 ( DCCCXXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. Events By date * February 8 – The Tenchō era begins in Japan at the beginning of the reign of the Emperor Junna, bringing an end to the ...

– Prema metalmark – present in Colombia, Venezuela and

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

. Male of a magnificent emerald green, in another light of a deep blue reflection, with black markings. Female similar to ''A. telephae'', larger, the eyespots of the hindwings and some spots near the base of the forewing with metallic pupils. *'' Alesa rothschildi'' (Seitz,

917 __NOTOC__ Year 917 ( CMXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * August 20 – Battle of Achelous: A Byzantine expeditionary force (62,000 men) under General Leo Ph ...

present in French Guiana and Guyana. Male above with a black lattice-like marking, with golden-green spots, the marginal spots guttiform (shaped like a

drop Drop, DROP, drops or DROPS may refer to: * Drop (liquid) or droplet, a small volume of liquid ** Eye drops, saline (sometimes mydriatic) drops used as medication for the eyes * Drop (unit), a unit of measure of volume * Falling (physics), allowing ...

). Female above black except the distal half of the forewing in which there is a white oblique band, and the margin of the hindwing of a blue gloss. *'' Alesa telephae'' (Boisduval, 1836) – Telephae metalmark – present in French Guiana and Brazil. *'' Alesa thelydrias'' Bates, 1867 present in Brazil.

References

External links

TOL
Riodininae Riodinidae of South America Butterfly genera Taxa named by Edward Doubleday Taxa described in 1847 {{Riodinidae-stub