Cymothoe (butterfly)

''Cymothoe'' is a genus of butterflies in the subfamily Limenitidinae, the admirals and relatives. They are known commonly as gliders.Van Velzen, R., et al. (2009)
A new hidden species of the ''Cymothoe caenis''-complex (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) from western Africa.
''Zootaxa'' 2197, 53-63. The genus is distributed in the Afrotropical realm, where species are found mainly in forest habitat. mainly in the Guinean Forests of West Africa and the Congolian forests.

Description

These are medium-large to large-size (wingspan 40-70 millimetres) often quite colourful butterflies. Species in this genus exhibit a number of different colours and patterns. Among the most remarkable are a number of species where the upperside is solid coloured bright red or orange. Another group is largely pale yellow; others deep ochreous yellow and chocolate brown or pure white.

Biology

The larvae feed on various shrubs and trees. Recorded host genera include '' Rawsonia'' and ''Kiggelaria'' (Achariaceae), ''Fernandoa'' and '' Kigelia'' (Bignoniaceae), ''Vismia'' (Hypericaceae), ''Dovyalis'' (Salicaceae) and ''Rinorea'' (Violaceae). The adults spend most of their time in the canopy but also seek out sunlit spots between the trees and feed on decaying vegetation on the forest floor.

Taxonomy

These butterflies exhibit sexual dimorphism. Individuals can also be variable within a species, especially females. The females of '' C. caenis'', for example, are so variable that authorities have described 20 different forms of the species based on their differences.

The sister genus is '' Harma''. The type species of the genus is '' Papilio althea'' Cramer.

Species groups

Defining species groups is a convenient way of subdividing well-defined genera with a large number of recognized species. ''Cymothoe'' species are so arranged in assemblages called "species groups" but (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

There are about 75 known species.

Listed alphabetically within species groups:"''Cymothoe'' Hübner, [1819]"
at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms''
*The ''oemilius'' species group
**''Cymothoe oemilius">819]"">"''Cymothoe'' Hübner, [1819]"
at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms''
*The ''oemilius'' species group
**''Cymothoe oemilius'' (Doumet, 1859)
*The ''hyarbita'' species group
**''Cymothoe hyarbita'' (Hewitson, [1866])
**''Cymothoe reinholdi'' (Plötz, 1880)
*The ''lucasi'' species group
**''Cymothoe egesta'' (Cramer, 1775)
**''Cymothoe lucasii'' (Doumet, 1859)
**'' Cymothoe megaesta'' Staudinger, 1889
**'' Cymothoe owassae'' Schultze, 1916
*Unknown species group
**'' Cymothoe orphnina'' Karsch, 1894
*The ''lurida'' species group
**'' Cymothoe colmanti'' Aurivillius, 1898
**'' Cymothoe hypatha'' (Hewitson, 1866)
**'' Cymothoe lurida'' (Butler, 1871)
*Unknown species group
**'' Cymothoe cyclades'' (Ward, 1871)
**'' Cymothoe fontainei'' Overlaet, 1952
**'' Cymothoe heliada'' (Hewitson, 1874)
**'' Cymothoe herminia'' Grose-Smith, 1887
**'' Cymothoe hesiodina'' Schultze, 1908
**'' Cymothoe hesiodotus'' Staudinger, 1889
**'' Cymothoe howarthi'' Rydon, 1981
**'' Cymothoe isiro'' Rydon, 1981
**'' Cymothoe ochreata'' Grose-Smith, 1890
**'' Cymothoe sassiana'' Schouteden, 1912
**'' Cymothoe weymeri'' Suffert, 1904
*The ''fumana'' species group
**'' Cymothoe fumana'' (Westwood, 1850)
**'' Cymothoe haynae'' Dewitz, 1886
*Unknown species group
**'' Cymothoe althea'' (Cramer, 776
**'' Cymothoe amenides'' (Hewitson, 1874)
**'' Cymothoe capella'' (Ward, 1871)
**'' Cymothoe caprina'' Aurivillius, 1897
**'' Cymothoe consanguis'' Aurivillius, 1896
**'' Cymothoe coranus'' (Grose-Smith, 1889)
**'' Cymothoe eris'' Aurivillius, 1896
*The ''caenis'' species group
**'' Cymothoe alcimeda'' (Godart, 824
**'' Cymothoe alticola'' Libert & Collins, 1997
**''Cymothoe caenis'' (Drury, [1773">819]"at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms'' It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast ...