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
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 ...
Afrotropical realm
The Afrotropical realm is one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Sub-Saharan Africa, the southern Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, and the islands of the western Indian Ocean. It was formerly known as the Ethiopi ...
, mainly in the
Guinean Forests of West Africa
Forest along the Edéa.html" ;"title="Sanaga River at Edéa">Sanaga River at Edéa, Cameroon
The Guinean forests of West Africa is a biodiversity hotspot designated by Conservation International, which includes the belt of Tropical and subtropi ...
and the
Congolian forests
The Congolian rainforests ( French: ''Forêts tropicales congolaises'') are a broad belt of lowland tropical moist broadleaf forests which extend across the basin of the Congo River and its tributaries in Central Africa.
Description
The Congol ...
.
The genus ''Bebearia'' closely resembles the allied genus ''
Euphaedra
''Euphaedra'' is a butterfly genus in the subfamily Limenitidinae. The species are confined to the Afrotropical realm mainly in the Guinean Forests of West Africa and the Congolian forests.
Description
''Euphaedra'' are large and showy butterf ...
'' in appearance. The females, especially, are very similar on their uppersides. The undersides of ''Bebearia'' however are invariably cryptically patterned and often resemble dead leaves. In ''Euphaedra'' the underside is usually yellow with black spots and pink basal patches. ''Euphaedra'' have orange palpi while those of ''Bebearia'' are brown. In ''Euphaedra'' the forewing apex is always rounded and not falcate (sickle shaped). As in ''Euphaedra'' the upper side of the wing of ''Bebearia'' is usually coloured in metallic blue or green, bright red or orange, or it is dark brownish. Some species are nearly black with blue reflections.The underside of ''Bebearia'' can have a metallic sheen.Jacques Hecq, 2000, ''Schmetterlinge der Erde'', Butterflies of the world Part IX (9), Nymphalidae IV -Bebearia. Edited by Erich Bauer and Thomas Frankenbach Keltern : Goecke & Evers; Canterbury : Hillside Books. and Supplement 3 - Detailed text in French. The member species are diverse.
Taxonomy
The
type species
In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...
Defining species groups is a convenient way of subdividing well-defined genera with a large number of recognized species. ''Bebearia'' species are so arranged in assemblages called "species groups" (not
superspecies
In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...
, but an informal
phenetic
In biology, phenetics (; ), also known as taximetrics, is an attempt to classify organisms based on overall similarity, usually with respect to Morphology (biology), morphology or other observable traits, regardless of their phylogeny or evoluti ...
arrangement). These may or may not be
clades
In biology, a clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach to taxonomy ...
. As
molecular phylogenetic
Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...
studies continue, lineages distinct enough to warrant some formal degree of recognition become evident and new groupings are suggested, but consistent ranking remains a problem.
Species
*
Subgenus
In biology, a subgenus ( subgenera) is a taxonomic rank directly below genus.
In the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, a subgeneric name can be used independently or included in a species name, in parentheses, placed between the ge ...
''Apectinaria'' Hecq, 1990
**The ''tentyris''
species group
In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...
***''
Bebearia abesa
''Bebearia abesa'', the black forester, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda
...
'' (Hewitson, 1869)
***''
Bebearia absolon
''Bebearia absolon'', the Absolon forester, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democra ...
Bebearia languida
''Bebearia languida'' is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Cameroon and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), also known as the DR Congo, Congo-Kinshasa, or simply the Congo (t ...
'' (Schultze, 1920)
***''
Bebearia lucayensis
''Bebearia lucayensis'', the plain forester, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the ...
'' Hecq, 1996
***''
Bebearia mandinga
''Bebearia mandinga'', the Mandinga forester, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the ...
Bebearia osyris
''Bebearia osyris'', or Winifred's forester, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Ghana
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situate ...
'' (Schultze, 1920)
***''
Bebearia oxione
''Bebearia oxione'', the banded forester, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, Angola, the Central African Republic, the Dem ...
'' (Hewitson, 1866)
***''
Bebearia partita
''Bebearia partita'', the falcate forester, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Mongala, Uele, Ituri, north Kivu, Tshopo, Equateur, Kinshasa, Cataract ...
'' (Aurivillius, 1895)
***''
Bebearia subtentyris
''Bebearia subtentyris'', the upland plain forester, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to th ...
'' (Strand, 1912)
***''
Bebearia tentyris
''Bebearia tentyris'', or Hewitson's forester, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda
Uganda, offici ...
'' (Hewitson, 1866)
***''
Bebearia zonara
''Bebearia zonara'', the light brown forester, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, Bioko, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democ ...
Bebearia arcadius
''Bebearia arcadius'', the Arcadian, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Ghana
Ghana, officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It is situated along ...
Bebearia brunhilda
''Bebearia brunhilda'' is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae
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, ...
Bebearia warrengashi
''Bebearia warrengashi'', or Warren-Gash's forester, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Ivory Coast. The habitat consists of forests.
Eponym
''Bebearia warrengashi'' is named in honour of Haydon Warren-Gash
Haydon Warren ...
Royal Museum for Central Africa
The Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) (; ; ), communicating under the name AfricaMuseum since 2018, is an ethnography and natural history museum situated in Tervuren in Flemish Brabant, Belgium, just outside Brussels. It was originally b ...