''Neptis'' is a large genus of

butterflies Butterflies are winged insects from the lepidopteran superfamily Papilionoidea, characterized by large, often brightly coloured wings that often fold together when at rest, and a conspicuous, fluttering flight. The oldest butterfly fossi ...

of Old World tropics and subtropics. They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (''

Pseudoneptis ''Pseudoneptis'' is a butterfly genus in the family Nymphalidae. It Monotypic taxon, contains only one species ''Pseudoneptis bugandensis'', the blue sailer or blue sergeant. It is found in Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, ...

'').

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 The Afrotropical realm is one of the Earth's eight biogeographic realms. It includes Sub-Saharan Africa, the southern Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, and the islands of the western Indian Ocean. It was formerly known as the Ethiopi ...

, over 40 in the

Palearctic realm The Palearctic or Palaearctic is a biogeographic realm of the Earth, the largest of eight. Confined almost entirely to the Eastern Hemisphere, it stretches across Europe and Asia, north of the foothills of the Himalayas, and North Africa. The ...

6 in the

Australasian realm The Australasian realm is one of eight biogeographic realms that is coincident with, but not (by some definitions) the same as, the geographical region of Australasia. The realm includes Australia, the island of New Guinea (comprising Papua Ne ...

and about 50 occur in the

Indomalayan realm The Indomalayan realm is one of the eight biogeographic realms. It extends across most of South and Southeast Asia and into the southern parts of East Asia. Also called the Oriental realm by biogeographers, Indomalaya spreads all over the Ind ...

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 Fabaceae () or Leguminosae,International Code of Nomen ...

Rhamnaceae The Rhamnaceae are a large Family (biology), family of flowering plants, mostly trees, shrubs, and some vines, commonly called the buckthorn family. Rhamnaceae is included in the order Rosales. The family contains about 55 genera and 950 specie ...

Euphorbiaceae Euphorbiaceae (), the spurge family, is a large family of flowering plants. In English, they are also commonly called euphorbias, which is also the name of Euphorbia, the type genus of the family. Most spurges, such as ''Euphorbia paralias'', ar ...

Polygonaceae The Polygonaceae are a Family (biology), family of flowering plants known Common name, informally as the knotweed family or smartweed—buckwheat family in the United States. The Botanical name, name is Basionym, based on the genus ''Polygonum'', ...

Sapindaceae The Sapindaceae are a family (biology), family of flowering plants in the order Sapindales known as the soapberry family. It contains 138 genera and 1,858 accepted species. Examples include Aesculus, horse chestnut, maples, ackee and lychee. The ...

Urticaceae The Urticaceae are a family, the nettle family, of flowering plants. The family name comes from the genus ''Urtica''. The Urticaceae include a number of well-known and useful plants, including nettles in the genus ''Urtica'', ramie (''Boehmeria ...

and

Connaraceae Connaraceae is a pan-tropical plant family of 19 genera and more than 180 species of largely evergreen trees, woody shrubs and climbers. The family was first described by Robert Brown in 1816 and the name has been conserved. Distribution Connar ...

. 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 Disruptive coloration (also known as disruptive camouflage or disruptive patterning) is a form of camouflage that works by breaking up the outlines of an animal, soldier or military hardware with a strongly contrasting pattern. It is often com ...

, 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 ''Pantoporia'' is a genus of Asian butterflies sometimes called the lascars. They are predominantly with striped patterns of orange and black. Species in the genus include: * ''Pantoporia antara'' (Moore, 1858) * ''Pantoporia assamica'' (Moore, ...

'', in which the white wing markings are replaced by orange and to ''

Athyma ''Athyma'' is a genus of Nymphalidae, brush-footed butterflies. They are commonly known as the "true" or "typical" sergeants, to distinguish them from the false sergeants of the genus ''Pseudathyma'', a fairly close relative from the Adoliadini t ...

'' resemble ''Neptis'' but have more triangular forewings. The

type species In International_Code_of_Zoological_Nomenclature, zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the spe ...

of the genus is '' Papilio aceris'' Esper.

Species

Species include: *''

Neptis agatha ''Neptis agatha'' is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Sierra Leone, Abyssinia East Africa and Natal. It is the nominotypical member of the ''Neptis agatha'' species group In biology, a species complex is a group of clos ...

'' Cramer 1782 * ''

Neptis agouale ''Neptis agouale'', the common club-dot sailer , is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Senegal, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Democratic ...

'' Pierre-Baltus, 1978 * ''

Neptis alta ''Neptis alta'', the old sailer or high sailer, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Senegal, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon, the Republic of the Congo, the southern part of the Democratic ...

'' Overlaet, 1955 * ''

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

'' Bremer & Grey, 1853 * ''

Neptis amieti ''Neptis amieti'' is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Gabon Gabon ( ; ), officially the Gabonese Republic (), is a country on the Atlantic coast of Central Africa, on the equator, bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the nor ...

'' Pierre-Baltus, 2007 * ''

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

'' 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 - Celebes sailer * '' Neptis choui'' Yuan & Wang, 1994 * '' Neptis clarei'' Neave, 1904 – Clare's sailer * '' Neptis claude'' Collins & Larsen, 2005 * '' Neptis clinia'' Moore, 1872 – clear sailer * '' Neptis clinioides'' de Nicéville, 1894 * '' Neptis columella'' (Cramer,

780 __NOTOC__ Year 780 (Roman numerals, DCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar, the 780th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 780th year of the 1st millennium, the 80th year of the 8th c ...

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

'' Swinhoe, 1916 * '' 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'' Moore, 1857 – chestnut-streaked sailer * '' Neptis katama'' Collins & Larsen, 1991 * '' Neptis kikideli'' Boisduval, 1833 * '' Neptis kikuyuensis'' Jackson, 1951 – Kikuyu sailer * '' Neptis kiriakoffi'' Overlaet, 1955 – Kiriakoff's sailer * '' Neptis laeta'' Overlaet, 1955 – common sailer * '' Neptis lamtoensis'' Pierre-Baltus, 2007 * '' Neptis larseni'' Wojtusiak & Pyrcz, 1997 * '' Neptis latvitta'' Strand, 1909 * '' Neptis lermanni'' Aurivillius, 1896 * '' Neptis leucoporos'' Fruhstorfer, 1908 * '' Neptis liberti'' Pierre & Pierre-Baltus, 1998 * '' Neptis livingstonei'' Suffert, 1904 * '' Neptis loma'' Condamin, 1971 * '' Neptis lugubris'' Rebel, 1914 * '' Neptis magadha'' C. & R. Felder, 1867 * '' Neptis mahendra'' Moore, 1872 – Himalayan sailer * '' Neptis manasa'' Moore, 1857 – pale hockeystick sailer * '' Neptis marci'' Collins & Larsen, 1998 * '' Neptis matilei'' Pierre-Balthus, 2000 * '' Neptis mayottensis'' Oberthür, 1890 * '' Neptis melicerta'' (Drury, 1773) – streaked sailer * '' Neptis meloria'' Oberthür, 1906 * '' Neptis metalla'' Doubleday & Hewitson * '' Neptis metanira'' Holland, 1892 * '' Neptis metella'' Doubleday & Hewitson, 1850 * '' Neptis miah'' Moore, 1858 * '' Neptis mindorana'' C. & R. Felder, 1863 * '' Neptis mixophyes'' Holland, 1892 * '' Neptis morosa'' Overlaet, 1955 – morose sailer * '' Neptis mpassae'' Pierre-Baltus, 2007 * '' Neptis multiscoliata'' Pierre-Baltus, 2007 * '' Neptis najo'' Karsch, 1893 * '' Neptis namba'' Tytler, 1915 * '' Neptis nandina'' Moore, 1858 * '' Neptis narayana'' Moore, 1858 – broadstick sailer * '' Neptis nashona'' Swinhoe, 1896 – less rich sailer * '' Neptis nata'' Moore, 1858 – dirty sailer * '' Neptis nausicaa'' de Nicéville, 1897 * '' Neptis nebrodes'' Hewitson, 1874 * '' Neptis nemetes'' Hewitson, 1868 * '' Neptis nemorosa'' Oberthür, 1906 * '' Neptis nemorum'' Oberthür, 1906 * '' Neptis nicobule'' Holland, 1892 * '' Neptis nicomedes'' Hewitson, 1874 * '' Neptis nicoteles'' Hewitson, 1874 * '' Neptis nigra'' Pierre-Baltus, 2007 * '' Neptis nina'' Staudinger, 1896 – tiny sailer * '' Neptis nisaea'' de Nicéville, 1894 * '' Neptis nitetis'' Hewitson, 1868 * '' Neptis noyala'' Oberthür, 1906 * '' Neptis nycteus'' de Nicéville, 1890 – hockeystick sailer * '' Neptis nysiades'' Hewitson, 1868 * '' Neptis occidentalis'' Rothschild, 1918 * '' Neptis ochracea'' Neave, 1904 * '' Neptis omeroda'' Moore, 1875 * '' Neptis pampanga'' C. & R. Felder, 1863 * '' Neptis paula'' Staudinger, 1895 * '' Neptis penningtoni'' van Son, 1977 – Pennington's sailer * '' Neptis philyra'' Ménétriés, 1858 * '' Neptis philyroides'' Staudinger, 1887 * '' Neptis poultoni'' Eltringham, 1921 * '' Neptis praslini'' (Boisduval, 1832) * '' Neptis pryeri'' Butler, 1871 * '' Neptis pseudonamba'' Huang, 2001 * '' Neptis pseudovikasi'' (Moore, 1899) * '' Neptis puella'' Aurivillius, 1894 * '' Neptis quintilla'' Mabille, 1890 * '' Neptis radha'' Moore, 1857 – great yellow sailer * '' Neptis reducta'' Fruhstorfer, 1908 * '' Neptis rivularis'' (Scopoli, 1763) – Hungarian glider * '' Neptis rogersi'' Eltringham, 1921 – Roger's sailer * '' Neptis rothschildi'' Eltringham, 1921 * '' Neptis rosa'' Pierre-Baltus, 2007 * ''

Neptis saclava ''Neptis saclava'', the spotted sailer, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is native to Madagascar and to large areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Its wingspan is 40–45 mm in males and 45–48 mm in females The hindwing beneath a ...

'' Boisduval, 1833 – spotted sailer * '' Neptis sangangi'' Huang, 2001 * '' Neptis sankara'' (Kollar, 1844) – broad-banded sailer * ''

Neptis sappho ''Neptis sappho'', the Pallas' sailer or common glider, is a nymphalid butterfly found in Central Europe, Russia, India and other parts of temperate Asia and Japan. The wingspan is 40–46 mm.The upper side of the forewings is black or blac ...

'' (Pallas, 1771) – common glider or Pallas' sailer * '' Neptis satina'' Grose-Smith, 1894 * '' Neptis sedata'' Sasaki, 1982 * '' Neptis seeldrayersi'' Aurivillius, 1895 * '' Neptis serena'' Overlaet, 1955 – river sailer * '' Neptis sextilla'' Mabille, 1882 * '' Neptis sinocartica'' Chou & Wang, 1994 * '' Neptis soma'' Moore, 1858 – sullied sailer * '' Neptis speyeri'' Staudinger, 1887 * '' Neptis stellata'' Pierre-Baltus, 2007 * '' Neptis strigata'' Aurivillius, 1894 * '' Neptis sunica'' Eliot, 1969 * '' Neptis swynnertoni'' Trimen, 1912 * '' Neptis sylvana'' Oberthür, 1906 * '' Neptis taiwana'' Fruhstorfer, 1908 * '' Neptis theodora'' Oberthür, 1906 * '' Neptis thestias'' Leech, 1892 * '' Neptis thetis'' Leech, 1890 * '' Neptis trigonophora'' Butler, 1878 – barred sailer * '' Neptis troundi'' Pierre-Baltus, 1978 * '' Neptis vibusa'' Semper, 1889 * '' Neptis vikasi'' Horsfield, 1829 – dingy sailer * '' Neptis vindo'' Pierre-Baltus, 1978 * '' Neptis vingerhoedti'' Pierre-Baltus, 2003 * '' Neptis viridis'' Pierre-Baltus, 2007 * '' Neptis woodwardi'' Sharpe, 1899 – Woodward's sailer * '' Neptis yerburii'' Butler, 1886 – Yerbury's sailer * '' Neptis zaida'' Westwood, 1850 – pale-green sailer

References

Seitz, A. ''Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde'' 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 48

External links

Images representing ''Neptis'' at EOL
* ''Neptis'' full species list at Swedish Wikipedia {{Authority control Nymphalidae genera Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius Limenitidinae