''Nymphidium '' 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 only 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 ...

. Some ''Nymphidium'' are obviously secondarily transformed by

mimicry In evolutionary biology, mimicry is an evolved resemblance between an organism and another object, often an organism of another species. Mimicry may evolve between different species, or between individuals of the same species. In the simples ...

, otherwise the almost exclusive colours are brown and white either of which being now and then preponderant. The wings have a normal shape without indentations, tail appendages, lobing or coiling. The larva is shaped like a

woodlouse 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 ...

, hunched, green, sometimes with a yellow lateral streak, the neck organ out of a transverse row of green spikes or bristles. It has a guard of ants. The pupa is green, fastened by a belt-like thread. The butterflies rest on the under surface of leaves and are chased up by beating the bushes, whereupon they fly like

Geometridae The geometer moths are moth Moths are a group of insects that includes all members of the order Lepidoptera that are not Butterfly, butterflies. They were previously classified as suborder Heterocera, but the group is Paraphyly, paraphyleti ...

for some paces, in order to hide themselves again. The swarming-time seems to be dawn, or the early morning, but the author came across them yet in the sunshine of the morning on blossoms. They are easily taken and fly low.Seitz, A. 1916. Family:Erycinidae. In A. Seitz (editor), Macrolepidoptera of the world,vol. 5:617–738. Stuttgart: Alfred Kerne

also available as pdf

Species

*'' Nymphidium acherois'' (Boisduval, 1836) 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 ...

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 ...

*'' Nymphidium ariari'' Callaghan, 1988 present in

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 ...

*'' Nymphidium ascolia'' Hewitson,

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

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 ...

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 ...

, Brazil *'' Nymphidium aurum'' Callaghan, 1985 present in Brazil *'' Nymphidium azanoides'' Butler, 1867 present in

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 ...

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 ...

, Brazil *'' Nymphidium baeotia'' Hewitson,

/small> present in French Guiana,

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 ...

, Brazil *'' Nymphidium balbinus'' Staudinger,

887 __NOTOC__ Year 887 ( DCCCLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar. Events By place Europe * November 17 – East Frankish magnates revolt against the inept emperor Charles III (the Fat) in an assembly ...

/small> present in Colombia *'' Nymphidium cachrus'' (Fabricius, 1787) present in French Guiana, Guyana,

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago, officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean, comprising the main islands of Trinidad and Tobago, along with several List of islands of Trinidad and Tobago, smaller i ...

, Colombia *'' Nymphidium callaghani'' Brévignon, 1999 present in French Guiana *'' Nymphidium caricae'' (Linnaeus, 1758) present in French Guiana, Guyana,

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 ...

, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru,

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 ...

, Brazil *'' Nymphidium carmentis'' Stichel, 1910 present in Ecuador, Bolivia *'' Nymphidium chimborazium'' Bates, 1868 present in Ecuador *'' Nymphidium chione'' Bates, 1867 present in Brazil *'' Nymphidium colleti'' Gallard, 2008 *'' Nymphidium derufata'' Callaghan, 1985 present in Suriname *'' Nymphidium fulminans'' Bates, 1868 present in Colombia, Brazil *'' Nymphidium guyanensis'' Gallard & Brévignon, 1989 present in French Guiana *'' Nymphidium haematostictum'' Godman & Salvin, 1878 present in Costa Rica,

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 ...

*'' Nymphidium hermieri'' Gallard, 2008 *'' Nymphidium hesperinum'' Stichel, 1911 present in

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 ...

*'' Nymphidium latibrunis'' Callaghan, 1985 present in Ecuador *'' Nymphidium lenocinium'' Schaus, 1913 present in Costa Rica, Colombia *'' Nymphidium leucosia'' (Hübner,

806 __NOTOC__ Year 806 ( DCCCVI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Julian calendar, the 806th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 806th year of the 1st millennium, the 6th year of the 9th century, and the ...

present in Colombia, Peru, Brazil *'' Nymphidium lisimon'' (Stoll, 1790) present in French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Peru, Brazil *'' Nymphidium manicorensis'' Callaghan, 1985 present in French Guiana, Brazil *'' Nymphidium mantus'' (Cramer, 1775) present in French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Brazil *'' Nymphidium menalcus'' (Stoll, 1782) present in French Guiana, Suriname, Venezuela *'' Nymphidium ninias'' Hewitson, 1865 present in Brazil *'' Nymphidium nivea'' Talbot, 1928 present in Brazil *'' Nymphidium olinda'' Bates, 1865 present in Panama, Venezuela, Brazil *'' Nymphidium omois'' Hewitson, 1865 present in

Amazon basin The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributary, tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries ...

*'' Nymphidium onaeum'' Hewitson, 1869 present in

Honduras Honduras, officially the Republic of Honduras, is a country in Central America. It is bordered to the west by Guatemala, to the southwest by El Salvador, to the southeast by Nicaragua, to the south by the Pacific Ocean at the Gulf of Fonseca, ...

, Panama *'' Nymphidium plinthobaphis'' Stichel, 1910 present in Brazil, Peru *'' Nymphidium smalli'' Callaghan, 1999 present in Panama *'' Nymphidium strati'' Kaye, 1925 present in Trinidad and Tobago *'' Nymphidium trinidadi'' Callaghan, 1999 present in Trinidad and Tobago *'' Nymphidium undimargo'' Seitz, 1917 present in Brazil

Sources

''Nymphidium''
on Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera

External links

Nymphidiini Butterfly genera Taxa named by Johan Christian Fabricius Taxa described in 1807 {{Riodinidae-stub