Melitaeini are a group of brush-footed

butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises t ...

. Usually classified as a

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 is in the discipline of anthropology. This definition is contested, in part due to confl ...

of the

Nymphalinae The Nymphalinae are a subfamily of brush-footed butterflies (family Nymphalidae). Sometimes, the subfamilies Limenitidinae, and Biblidinae are included here as subordinate tribe(s), while the tribe Melitaeini is occasionally regarded as a distinc ...

, they are sometimes raised to subfamily status as Melitaeinae. Common names include the highly ambiguous

fritillaries ''Fritillaria'' (fritillaries) is a genus of spring flowering herbaceous bulbous perennial plants in the lily family (Liliaceae). The type species, ''Fritillaria meleagris'', was first described in Europe in 1571, while other species from the ...

(also used for some

Heliconiinae The Heliconiinae, commonly called heliconians or longwings, are a subfamily of the brush-footed butterflies (family Nymphalidae). They can be divided into 45–50 genera and were sometimes treated as a separate family Heliconiidae within the ...

), checkerspots, crescents, or crescentspots, and some genus-specific names. Crimson Patch 6

Genera

The 20–25

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 ...

of Melitaeini are divided among five

subtribe Subtribe is a taxonomic category ranking which is below the rank of tribe and above genus. The standard suffix for a subtribe is -ina (in animals) or -inae (in plants). The early use of this word is from 19th century. An example of subtribe i ...

s; some species are also listed. The subtribes, in the presumed phylogenetic sequence, are:See references in Savela (2010)

Subtribe Euphydryina * ''

Euphydryas ''Euphydryas'' is a genus of Nymphalidae butterflies Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, a ...

'' – fritillaries, checkerspots Subtribe Melitaeina * ''

Melitaea ''Melitaea'' is a genus of brush-footed butterflies (family Nymphalidae). They are here placed in the tribe Melitaeini of subfamily Nymphalinae; some authors elevate this tribe to subfamily rank. As delimited here, ''Melitaea'' includes the ...

'' – fritillaries (including ''Didymaeformis'', ''Mellicta'') Subtribe Chlosynina * '' Antillea'' Higgins,

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/small> * ''

Atlantea ''Atlantea'' is a genus of butterflies from the Caribbean 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 P ...

'' Higgins,

/small> * ''

Chlosyne ''Chlosyne'' is a genus of butterflies from North and South America in the family Nymphalidae. Species Listed alphabetically within groups: Glassberg, J. (2007) ''A Swift Guide to the Butterflies of Mexico and Central America'', Sunstreak Book ...

'' – checkerspots, patches * ''

Dymasia ''Dymasia'' is a monotypic genus of butterflies in the family Nymphalidae. Its single species is the tiny checkerspot (''Dymasia dymas''), also known as the dyman checkerspot, which is found from the southern United States to Central America. G ...

'' Higgins, 1960 * ''

Higginsius ''Higginsius'' is a genus of butterflies from north-eastern South America in the family Nymphalidae.Microtia Microtia is a congenital deformity where the auricle (external ear) is underdeveloped. A completely undeveloped pinna is referred to as anotia. Because microtia and anotia have the same origin, it can be referred to as microtia-anotia. Microtia ...

'' Bates, 1864 * ''

Poladryas ''Poladryas'' is a monotypic genus of butterflies from United States and Central America in the family Nymphalidae The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. B ...

'' Bauer, 1975 * '' Texola'' Higgins, 1959 – checkerspots ** ''

Texola elada ''Texola elada'', the Elada checkerspot, is a species of butterfly in the brush-footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae. It is found from southern Mexico north to central Texas and central Arizona in the United States. The wingspan is . Adults ar ...

'' – Elada checkerspot Subtribe Gnathotrichina * ''

Gnathotriche ''Gnathotriche'' is a genus of butterflies in the family Nymphalidae found in South America.

'' C. & R. Felder, 1862 Subtribe Phyciodina * ''

Anthanassa ''Anthanassa'' is a genus of North and South American butterflies of the family Nymphalidae found from the United States to South America. One authority places this genus as a subgenus of '' Phyciodes''.Glassberg, J. (2007). ''A Swift Guide to ...

'' Scudder, 1875 – crescents, crescentspots ** ''

Anthanassa ardys ''Anthanassa ardys'', the Ardys crescent, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found from southern Mexico, through Central America to Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South Amer ...

'' – Ardys crescent ** ''

Anthanassa frisia ''Anthanassa frisia'', the Cuban crescentspot, Cuban checkerspot or Cuban crescent, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. Subspecies ''tulcis'' is known by the common names pale-banded crescent or Tulcis crescent; it is treated as a species b ...

'' – Cuban crescent, Cuban crescentspot * '' Castilia'' Higgins, 1981 * ''

Dagon Dagon ( he, דָּגוֹן, ''Dāgōn'') or Dagan ( sux, 2= dda-gan, ; phn, 𐤃𐤂𐤍, Dāgān) was a god worshipped in ancient Syria across the middle of the Euphrates, with primary temples located in Tuttul and Terqa, though many at ...

'' Higgins, 1981 * '' Eresia'' Boisduval, 1836 * ''

Janatella ''Janatella'' is a genus of butterflies which range from Central to South America in the family Nymphalidae. The species Janatella has trapezoidal wings that allow them to fly easily and fast. The flying performance of butterflies enabled the rec ...

'' Higgins, 1981 * ''

Mazia ''Mazia'' is a monotypic genus of butterflies in the family Nymphalidae that contains the species ''Mazia amazonica'' found in South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemi ...

'' Higgins, 1981 * ''

Ortilia ''Ortilia'' is a genus of butterflies of the family Nymphalidae found in South America.

'' Higgins, 1981 * '' Phyciodes'' – crescents, crescentspots * '' Phystis'' Higgins, 1981 * ''

Tegosa ''Tegosa'' is a Neotropical genus of butterflies from Mexico to South America in the family Nymphalidae. Species Listed alphabetically: *''Tegosa anieta'' (Hewitson, 1864) – black-bordered tegosa *'' Tegosa claudina'' (Eschscholtz, 1821) – C ...

'' Higgins, 1981 ** ''

Tegosa anieta ''Tegosa anieta'', the black-bordered tegosa, is a species of butterfly in the genus '' Tegosa'' found from southern Mexico to South America. Subspecies Listed alphabetically:Glassberg, J. (2007) ''A Swift Guide to the Butterflies of Mexico and ...

'' * '' Telenassa'' Higgins, 1981 * '' Tisona'' Higgins, 1981

Footnotes

References

* Savela, Markku (2010): ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms'' &ndash
Melitaeini
Version of 30 June 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2011. Nymphalinae Butterfly tribes {{Nymphalinae-stub