''Ithomeis'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

in the butterfly family Riodinidae present only in the

Neotropical realm The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropical terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperate zone. Definition In bioge ...

Species

*''

Ithomeis aurantiaca ''Ithomeis'' is a genus in the butterfly family Riodinidae present only in the Neotropical realm. Species *'' Ithomeis aurantiaca'' Bates, 1862 present in Guyana, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador and Peru *'' Ithomeis eulema'' Hewitson, 18 ...

'' Bates, 1862 present in

Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

and

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

*'' Ithomeis eulema'' Hewitson, 1870 present in

Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

Panama Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...

, Venezuela and Colombia

Biology

Both species are mimics. The pattern of black, orange, and large translucent areas found in ''Ithomeis'' is shared by toxic genera from the

Ithomiinae Ithomiini is a butterfly tribe in the nymphalid subfamily Danainae. It is sometimes referred to as the tribe of clearwing butterflies or glasswing butterflies. Some authors consider the group to be a subfamily (Ithomiinae). These butterflies are ...

(examples are '' Ithomia'' and ''

Oleria ''Oleria'' is a genus of clearwing ( ithomiine) butterflies, named by Jacob Hübner in 1816. They are in the brush-footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae. Species Arranged alphabetically within species groups: *'' Oleria aegle'' (Fabricius, 1776) ...

'') and a number of toxic Arctiidae. The pattern is also shared with several other Riodinidae genera (examples are ''

Stalachtis ''Stalachtis'' is a genus of metalmark butterflies (family Riodinidae). It is currently the only member of the tribe Stalachtini, but many metalmark butterflies are yet to be unequivocally assigned to tribes, so this might change eventually. Th ...

'', ''

Ithomiola ''Ithomiola'' is a butterfly genus in the butterfly family Riodinidae present only in the Neotropical realm. Species *'' Ithomiola buckleyi'' Hall & Willmott, 1998 present in Ecuador and Peru *'' Ithomiola callixena'' (Hewitson, 1870 present i ...

'', and '' Brachyglenis''), which may be part of mimicry rings. ''I. aurantiaca'' has several

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

; some are very different in appearance and were formerly regarded as full species. '' I. a. satellites'' and '' I. a. astrea'' closely resemble species of '' Heliconius''. Other subspecies include '' I. a. mimica'' and ''I a. stalachtina'', which have extensive orange markings and much reduced

hyaline A hyaline substance is one with a glassy appearance. The word is derived from el, ὑάλινος, translit=hyálinos, lit=transparent, and el, ὕαλος, translit=hýalos, lit=crystal, glass, label=none. Histopathology Hyaline cartilage is ...

areas, and these mimic toxic ithomiines in the genera ''

Pseudoscada ''Pseudoscada'' is a genus of clearwing ( ithomiine) butterflies, named by Frederick DuCane Godman and Osbert Salvin in 879 They are in the brush-footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with ...

'', ''

Hyposcada ''Hyposcada'' is a genus of clearwing ( ithomiine) butterflies, named by Frederick DuCane Godman and Osbert Salvin in 1879. They are in the brush-footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae. Species Arranged alphabetically:Hypoleria ''Hypoleria'' is a genus of clearwing (Ithomiini, ithomiine) butterflies, named by Frederick DuCane Godman and Osbert Salvin in 1879. They are in the brush-footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae. Species Arranged alphabetically:tropical forest Tropical forests (a.k.a. jungle) are forested landscapes in tropical regions: ''i.e.'' land areas approximately bounded by the tropic of Cancer and Capricorn, but possibly affected by other factors such as prevailing winds. Some tropical fores ...

including

cloud forest A cloud forest, also called a water forest, primas forest, or tropical montane cloud forest (TMCF), is a generally tropical or subtropical, evergreen, montane, moist forest characterized by a persistent, frequent or seasonal low-level cloud c ...

at 800–1500 m. The eggs are pink, and laid in clusters of 40 to 50 on the upper side of leaves. The larval food plant is ''

Heisteria ''Heisteria'' is a genus of plants in the family Olacaceae, although it is sometimes listed under the largely unrecognized family erythropalaceae. It contains the following species (this list may be incomplete): * ''Heisteria acuminata'' * ''Hei ...

''.

References

''Ithomeis''
at Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera
TOL

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q1763914 Riodininae Riodinidae of South America Butterfly genera Taxa named by Henry Walter Bates