Neptis

''Neptis'' is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer ('' Pseudoneptis'').

Description

The head is rather broad and moderately hairy on the forehead. The eyes are large and prominent. The palpi are short, acute, slender, hairy, and do not rise above the level of the forehead. The antennae are moderately long, terminating in an elongate, gradually-formed club, flattened on its upper surface. The thorax is not robust and it is as broad as the head and slightly hairy posteriorly. The wing characters are: forewings elongate, rather truncate; costa only slightly arched; apex not acute, but well marked; hind margin slightly convex and sinuated; anal angle distinct; inner-margin convex near base, slightly concave about middle. Hindwings large, rounded; costa strongly arched; hind margin moderately dentate; inner margins only slightly convex, not covering posterior portion of the abdomen. Upperside patterning consists of white spots and bars (some species have orange or yellow bars) on a black ground colour. Underside patterns are yellowish to reddish brown, alternating with white bands The legs are rather short and stout. The abdomen is slender, much compressed and rather elongate.

The head of the larva is very large and bifid on its summit. There is a pair of downy, elongate, tubercular processes, projecting laterally, on both the second and third segments—those on the third segment are much longer. There is an upright pyramidal process on the penultimate segment and the body is attenuated posteriorly.

The pupa is strongly curved (thick in central portion). The head is deeply bifid.

File:BimbisaraNashona 288 1.jpg, ''Neptis nashona'' showing undersides. In ''Neptis'' both sexes have similar wing markings but females are larger.
File:EntNews3PlateIXNeptis.jpg , African ''Neptis''. Distinguishing the species involves study of the configuration of the white spots, bars and submarginal lines on both wing surfaces.
File:TransEntSocLond1921Plate21.jpg, African ''Neptis''. Plate accompanying a classic study by Harry Eltringham
File:HorsfieldMoorCatalogueEastIndiaCompanyLepidopteraPlateV.jpg, Larva and pupa, figures 10 and 10a

Distribution

About 65 species occur in the Afrotropical realm, over 40 in the Palearctic realm 6 in the Australasian realm and about 50 occur in the Indomalayan realm.

Habitat

''Neptis'' are forest, including rainforest and secondary forest, butterflies. They are also found in lightly wooded areas and gardens.

Biology

Larval food plants come from the families Fabaceae, Rhamnaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Polygonaceae, Sapindaceae, Urticaceae and Connaraceae.

Adults have a "sailing" flight flapping their wings and then gliding. They frequently perch and visit flowers for nectar and damp patches where they imbibe salts and other nutrients. Adult uppersides exhibit disruptive coloration, This species has been observed to make sounds whose function has not been established.Scott, F.W. (1968). Sound produced by ''Neptis hylas'' (Nymphalidae). ''Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society'' 22(4):254

Taxonomy

''Neptis'' are allied to '' Pantoporia'', in which the white wing markings are replaced by orange and to '' Athyma'' resemble ''Neptis'' but have more triangular forewings. The type species of the genus is '' Papilio aceris'' Esper.

Species

Species include:

*'' Neptis agatha'' Cramer 1782
* '' Neptis agouale'' Pierre-Baltus, 1978
* '' Neptis alta'' Overlaet, 1955
* '' Neptis alwina'' Bremer & Grey, 1853
* '' Neptis amieti'' Pierre-Baltus, 2007
* ''Neptis ananta'' Moore, 1858 – yellow sailer
* ''Neptis angusta'' Condamin, 1966
* ''Neptis anjana'' Moore, 1881 – rich sailer
* ''Neptis antilope'' Leech, 1892 – variegated sailer
* '' Neptis arachne'' Leech, 1890
* ''Neptis armandia'' Oberthür, 1876
* '' Neptis aurivillii'' Schultze, 1913
* ''Neptis beroe'' Leech, 1890
* ''Neptis biafra'' Ward, 1871
* ''Neptis brebissonii'' Boisduval, 1832
* ''Neptis camarensis'' Schultze, 1917
* '' Neptis carcassoni'' van Son, 1959 – Carcasson's streaked sailer
* '' Neptis carlsbergi'' Collins & Larsen, 2005
* ''Neptis carpenteri'' Eltringham, 1922
* '' Neptis cartica'' Moore, 1872 – plain sailer
* ''Neptis celebica'' Moore, 1899
* ''Neptis choui'' Yuan & Wang, 1994
* '' Neptis clarei'' Aurivillius, 1912 – Clare's sailer
* ''Neptis claude'' Collins & Larsen, 2005
* '' Neptis clinia'' Moore, 1872 – clear sailer
* ''Neptis clinioides'' de Nicéville, 1894
* ''Neptis columella'' Neave, 1904
* ''Neptis comorarum'' Oberthür, 1890
* ''Neptis conspicua'' Neave, 1904
* ''Neptis constantiae'' Carcasson, 1961 – Constance's sailer
* ''Neptis continuata'' Holland, 1892
* '' Neptis cormilloti'' Turlin, 1994
* ''Neptis cydippe'' Leech, 1890 – Chinese yellow sailer
* ''Neptis cymela'' C. & R. Felder, 1863
* ''Neptis decaryi'' Le Cerf, 1928
* ''Neptis dejeani'' Oberthür, 1894
* ''Neptis dentifera'' Schultze, 1917
* ''Neptis divisa'' Oberthür, 1908
* '' Neptis dumetorum'' Boisduval, 1833
* '' Neptis duryodana'' Moore, 1858
* ''Neptis eltringhami'' Joicey & Talbot, 1926
* ''Neptis esakii'' Nomura, 1935
* '' Neptis exaleuca'' Karsch, 1894
* '' Neptis felisimilis'' Schröder & Treadaway, 1983
* ''Neptis frobenia'' (Fabricius, 1798)
* ''Neptis goochi'' Trimen, 1879 – (small) streaked sailer
* '' Neptis gracilis'' (Kirsch, 1885)
* ''Neptis gratiosa'' Overlaet, 1955
* ''Neptis guia'' Chou & Wang, 1994
* ''Neptis harita'' Moore, 1875 – (Indian) dingiest sailer
* '' Neptis hesione'' Leech, 1890
* ''Neptis hylas'' (Linnaeus, 1758) – common sailer
* ''Neptis ida'' Moore, 1858
* ''Neptis ilira'' Kheil, 1884
* ''Neptis incongrua'' Butler, 1896
* ''Neptis infusa'' Birket-Smith, 1960
* ''Neptis ioannis'' Eliot, 1959
* ''Neptis jamesoni'' Godman & Salvin, 1890
* ''Neptis jordani'' Neave, 1910 – Jordan's sailer
* ''Neptis jumbah