Bebearia Liberti

''Bebearia'' is a genus of Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies.Afrotropical Butterflies: Nymphalidae - Tribe Adoliadini
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The species are confined to the Afrotropical realm, mainly in the Guinean Forests of West Africa and the Congolian forests.

The genus ''Bebearia'' closely resembles the allied genus ''Euphaedra'' in appearance. The females, especially, are very similar on their uppersides. The undersides of ''Bebearia'' however are invariably Crypsis, 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 of the genus is ''Bebearia brunhilda, Euryphene iturina'' Ferdinand Karsch, Karsch.

Species groups

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, but an informal phenetic arrangement). These may or may not be clades. As molecular phylogenetic 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 ''Apectinaria'' Hecq, 1990
**The ''tentyris'' species group
***''Bebearia abesa'' (Hewitson, 1869)
***''Bebearia absolon'' (Fabricius, 1793)
***''Bebearia amieti'' Hecq, 1994
***''Bebearia carshena'' (Hewitson, 1871)
***''Bebearia dallastai'' Hecq, 1994
***''Bebearia languida'' (Schultze, 1920)
***''Bebearia lucayensis'' Hecq, 1996
***''Bebearia mandinga'' (C. & R. Felder, 1860)
***''Bebearia micans'' Hecq, 1987
***''Bebearia osyris'' (Schultze, 1920)
***''Bebearia oxione'' (Hewitson, 1866)
***''Bebearia partita'' (Aurivillius, 1895)
***''Bebearia subtentyris'' (Strand, 1912)
***''Bebearia tentyris'' (Hewitson, 1866)
***''Bebearia zonara'' (Butler, 1871)
**The ''comus'' species group
***''Bebearia cinaethon'' (Hewitson, 1874)
***''Bebearia comus'' (Ward, 1871)
***''Bebearia ikelemba'' (Aurivillius, 1901)
**The ''mardania'' species group
***''Bebearia cocalia'' (Fabricius, 1793)
***''Bebearia cocalioides'' Hecq, 1990
***''Bebearia guineensis'' (C. & R. Felder, 1867)
***''Bebearia mardania'' (Fabricius, 1793)
***''Bebearia orientis'' (Karsch, 1895)
***''Bebearia senegalensis'' (Herrich-Schäffer, 1850)
**The ''sophus'' species group
***''Bebearia sophus'' (Fabricius, 1793)
**The ''barce'' species group
***''Bebearia barce'' (Doubleday, 1847)
**The ''staudingeri'' species group
***''Bebearia staudingeri'' (Aurivillius, 1893)
**The ''plistonax'' species group
***''Bebearia arcadius'' (Fabricius, 1793)
***''Bebearia plistonax'' (Hewitson, 1874)
**The ''elpinice'' species group
***''Bebearia elpinice'' (Hewitson, 1869)
***''Bebearia hassoni'' Hecq, 1998
**Unknown species group
***''Bebearia paludicola'' Holmes, 2001
*Subgenus ''Bebearia''
**The ''brunhilda'' species group
***''Bebearia allardi'' Hecq, 1989
***''Bebearia brunhilda'' (Kirby, 1889)
***''Bebearia chriemhilda'' (Staudinger, 1895)
***''Bebearia congolensis'' (Capronnier, 1889)
***''Bebearia cottoni'' (Bethune-Baker, 1908)
***''Bebearia dowsetti'' Hecq, 1990
***''Bebearia fontainei'' Berger, 1981
***''Bebearia fulgurata'' (Aurivillius, 1904)
***''Bebearia hargreavesi'' D'Abrera, 1980
***''Bebearia laetitioides'' (Joicey & Talbot, 1921)
***''Bebearia schoutedeni'' (Overlaet, 1954)
**The ''severini'' species group
***''Bebearia aurora'' (Aurivillius, 1896)
***''Bebearia discors'' Hecq, 1994
***''Bebearia improvisa'' Hecq, 2000
***''Bebearia juno'' Hecq, 1990
***''Bebearia kiellandi'' Hecq, 1993
***''Bebearia laetitia'' (Plötz, 1880)
***''Bebearia oremansi'' Hecq, 1994
***''Bebearia peetersi'' Hecq, 1994
***''Bebearia phranza'' (Hewitson, 1865)
***''Bebearia severini'' (Aurivillius, 1898)
***''Bebearia tessmanni'' (Grünberg, 1910)
**The ''flaminia'' species group
***''Bebearia bioculata'' Hecq, 1998
***''Bebearia defluera'' Hecq, 1998
***''Bebearia denticula'' Hecq, 2000
***''Bebearia ducarmei'' Hecq, 1988
***''Bebearia flaminia'' (Staudinger, 1891)
***''Bebearia intermedia'' (Bartel, 1905)
***''Bebearia liberti'' Hecq, 1998
***''Bebearia maximiana'' (Staudinger, 1891)
***''Bebearia nivaria'' (Ward, 1871)
**The ''phantasia'' species group
***''Bebearia demetra'' (Godart, 1819)
***''Bebearia leptotypa'' (Bethune-Baker, 1908)
***''Bebearia maledicta'' (Strand, 1912)
***''Bebearia phantasia'' (Hewitson, 1865)
***''Bebearia phantasiella'' (Staudinger, 1891)
***''Bebearia phantasina'' (Staudinger, 1891)
***''Bebearia tini'' Oremans, 1998
**The ''cutteri'' species group
***''Bebearia ashantina'' (Dudgeon, 1913)
***''Bebearia barombina'' (Staudinger, 1895)
***''Bebearia baueri'' Hecq, 2000
***''Bebearia braytoni'' (Sharpe, 1907)
***''Bebearia chilonis'' (Hewitson, 1874)
***''Bebearia chloeropis'' (Bethune-Baker, 1908)
***''Bebearia cutteri'' (Hewitson, 1865)
***''Bebearia eliensis'' (Hewitson, 1866)
***''Bebearia equatorialis'' Hecq, 1989
***''Bebearia faraveli'' Oremans, 1998
***''Bebearia innocua'' Grose-Smith & Kirby, 1889
***''Bebearia jolyana'' Hecq, 1989
***''Bebearia luteola'' (Bethune-Baker, 1908)
***''Bebearia makala'' (Bethune-Baker, 1908)
***''Bebearia octogramma'' (Grose-Smith & Kirby, 1889)
***''Bebearia picturata'' Hecq, 1989
***''Bebearia raeveli'' Hecq, 1989
**Unknown species group
***''Bebearia fontaineana'' Hecq, 1987
***''Bebearia inepta'' Hecq, 2001
***''Bebearia occitana'' Hecq, 1989
***''Bebearia omo'' Larsen & Warren, 2005
***''Bebearia warrengashi'' Hecq, 2000
*Unknown subgenus
**''Bebearia bouyeri'' van de Weghe, 2007
**''Bebearia castanea'' (Holland, 1893)
**''Bebearia ducalis'' (Grünberg, 1912)
**''Bebearia ivindoensis'' van de Weghe, 2007
**''Bebearia lopeensis'' van de Weghe, 2007
**''Bebearia pulchella'' Hecq, 2006
**''Bebearia romboutsi'' Hecq, 2001
**''Bebearia vandeweghei'' Hecq, 2005

References

Seitz, A. ''Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde'' 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 40 et seq.

External links

''Bebearia'' types
Royal Museum for Central Africa images

{{Taxonbar, from=Q4878319

Bebearia,
Limenitidinae
Nymphalidae genera
Taxa named by Francis Hemming