''Mesene'' is a

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 ...

in the butterfly family

Riodinidae Riodinidae is the family of metalmark butterflies. The common name "metalmarks" refers to the small, metallic-looking spots commonly found on their wings. The 1,532 species are placed in 146 genera. Although mostly Neotropical in distribution, ...

present in the

Neotropical realm The Neotropical realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms constituting Earth's land surface. Physically, it includes the tropics, tropical Ecoregion#Terrestrial, terrestrial ecoregions of the Americas and the entire South American temperat ...

. Riodinidae Mesene exhibit many color variations and combinations and vary by geographic region. The males have triangular, pointed, brightly coloured forewings and small ellipsoidal hindwings. In the wing veins the species exhibit great conformity, the second subcostal vein, the upper median vein in the forewing as well as in the hindwing rise before the cell-end. They rest well hidden on the under surface of leaves but fly when disturbed somewhat like geometrids for about 10 to 20 metres always keeping in the middle of the forest roads, in order to drop again into another bush. The larvae are lycaenid like, somewhat like

woodlice Woodlice are terrestrial isopods in the suborder Oniscidea. Their name is derived from being often found in old wood, and from louse, a parasitic insect, although woodlice are neither parasitic nor insects. Woodlice evolved from marine isopods ...

, fluffily haired; that of ''M. phareus'' lives on the extremely poisonous ''

Paullinia pinnata ''Paullinia pinnata'' is a flowering plant species in the genus of ''Paullinia'' found in South America and Africa. The long flexible stems of ''P. pinnata'' are used to poison fish in shallow pools, as described by the English naturalist Henry ...

'' to the leaf of which also the small greenish-yellow pupa is spun.

Species

*'' Mesene babosa'' Hall & Willmott, 1995 present in

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

*'' Mesene bomilcar'' (Stoll, 1790) present in

French Guiana French Guiana, or Guyane in French, is an Overseas departments and regions of France, overseas department and region of France located on the northern coast of South America in the Guianas and the West Indies. Bordered by Suriname to the west ...

Guyana Guyana, officially the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern coast of South America, part of the historic British West Indies. entry "Guyana" Georgetown, Guyana, Georgetown is the capital of Guyana and is also the co ...

Suriname Suriname, officially the Republic of Suriname, is a country in northern South America, also considered as part of the Caribbean and the West Indies. It is a developing country with a Human Development Index, high level of human development; i ...

*'' Mesene celetes'' Bates, 1868 present in

Venezuela Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many Federal Dependencies of Venezuela, islands and islets in the Caribbean Sea. It com ...

and

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

*'' Mesene citrinella'' Hall & Willmott, 1995 present in Ecuador,

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

and Brazil *''

Mesene croceella Characene (Ancient Greek: Χαρακηνή), also known as Mesene (Μεσσήνη) or Meshan, was a kingdom founded by the Iranian Hyspaosines located at the head of the Persian Gulf mostly within modern day Iraq. Its capital, Charax Spasinou (Χ� ...

'' Bates, 1865 present in

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

and

Costa Rica Costa Rica, officially the Republic of Costa Rica, is a country in Central America. It borders Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the northeast, Panama to the southeast, and the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, as well as Maritime bo ...

*''

Mesene cyneas Characene (Ancient Greek: Χαρακηνή), also known as Mesene (Μεσσήνη) or Meshan, was a kingdom founded by the Iranian Hyspaosines located at the head of the Persian Gulf mostly within modern day Iraq. Its capital, Charax Spasinou (Χ� ...

'' (Hewitson, 1874) present in Brazil, Ecuador and

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

*''

Mesene epaphus Characene (Ancient Greek: Χαρακηνή), also known as Mesene (Μεσσήνη) or Meshan, was a kingdom founded by the Iranian Hyspaosines located at the head of the Persian Gulf mostly within modern day Iraq. Its capital, Charax Spasinou (Χ� ...

'' (Stoll, 1780) present in French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname and Brazil *'' Mesene florus'' (Fabricius, 1793) present in Brazil *'' Mesene hyale'' C. & R. Felder, 1865 present in Colombia *'' Mesene ingrumaensis'' Callaghan & Salazar, 1999 present in Colombia *'' Mesene leucophrys'' Bates, 1868 present in Suriname, Brazil and Peru *'' Mesene leucopus'' Godman & Salvin,

886 __NOTOC__ Year 886 (Roman numerals, DCCCLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * March – A wide-ranging conspiracy against Emperor Basil I, led by John Kourkouas (9t ...

/small> present in

Guatemala Guatemala, officially the Republic of Guatemala, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the north and west by Mexico, to the northeast by Belize, to the east by Honduras, and to the southeast by El Salvador. It is hydrologically b ...

*'' Mesene margaretta'' (White, 1843) present in Mexico, Colombia,

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

and Venezuela *'' Mesene monostigma'' (Erichson,

849 __NOTOC__ Year 849 ( DCCCXLIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * Summer – Battle of Ostia: A Saracen Arab fleet from Sardinia sets sail towards Rome. In response, Pope Leo IV ...

present in French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela and Brazil *'' Mesene mygdon'' Schaus, 1913 present in Costa Rica and

Panama Panama, officially the Republic of Panama, is a country in Latin America at the southern end of Central America, bordering South America. It is bordered by Costa Rica to the west, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north, and ...

*'' Mesene nepticula'' Möschler, 1877 present in French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador, Colombia and Brazil *'' Mesene nola'' Herrich-Schäffer,

853 __NOTOC__ Year 853 ( DCCCLIII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Byzantine Empire * May 22 – A Byzantine fleet (85 ships and 5,000 men) sacks and destroys the port city of Damietta, lo ...

/small> present in Suriname, Ecuador,

and Brazil *'' Mesene paraena'' Bates, 1868 present in Brazil *'' Mesene patawa'' Brévignon, 1995 present in French Guiana *'' Mesene phareus'' (Cramer, 777 present in Mexico, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Brazil and Peru *'' Mesene philonis'' Hewitson, 1874 present in Brazil *'' Mesene pyrippe'' Hewitson, 1874 present in Brazil *'' Mesene sardonyx'' Stichel, 1910 present in Colombia *'' Mesene silaris'' Godman & Salvin, 1878 present in French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Ecuador, Venezuela, Guatemala and Peru *'' Mesene simplex'' Bates, 1868 present in Brazil *'' Mesene veleda'' Stichel, 1923 present in Brazil

Sources

''Mesene'' sur funet

External links

images representing ''Mesene'' at eolTOL
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1765512 Riodininae Riodinidae of South America Butterfly genera Taxa named by Edward Doubleday Taxa described in 1847