Pierella

''Pierella'' is a butterfly genus from the subfamily Satyrinae in the family Nymphalidae found from Mexico through Central America to South America. The species of ''Pierella'' have larger hindwings than forewings, unique among butterflies. The oval green flash on the forewing is also unique. It is caused by diffraction, the wing scales forming a diffraction grating.

Their caterpillars have been found on the host plants '' Heliconia'' and '' Calathea''.

Species and subspecies

* '' Pierella amalia'' Weymer, 1885 (= ''P. lena'' ab. ''leucospila'')
* '' Pierella astyoche'' (Erichson, 849 – Astyoche satyr
** ''Pierella astyoche astyoche'' (= ''Haetera larymna'', ''Hetaera'' 'sic''">sic.html" ;"title="'sic">'sic''''astyoche'')
** ''Pierella astyoche bernhardina'' Bryk, 1953 (= ''P. astyoche'' f. ''obscura'' (''nomen nudum''))
** ''Pierella astyoche stollei'' Ribeiro, 1931
* ''Pierella helvina'' (Hewitson, 1859)
** ''Pierella helvina helvina'' (= ''Haetera helvina'') – red-washed satyr
** ''Pierella helvina hymettia'' Staudinger, 886/small> (= ''P. incanescens werneri'')
** ''Pierella helvina incanescens'' Godman & Salvin, 1877 (= ''P. incanescens costaricana'')
** ''Pierella helvina ocreata'' Salvin & Godman, 1868 (= ''P. ocreata'' (''nomen nudum''))
** ''Pierella helvina pacifica'' Niepelt, 1924 (= ''Pierello'' ''ocreata johnsoni'')
* '' Pierella hortona'' (Hewitson, 1854) – white-barred lady slipper
** ''Pierella hortona hortona'' (= ''Haetera hortensia'', ''Haetera hortona'', ''P. hortona'' f. ''albopunctata'', ''P. hortona'' f. ''ocellata'')
** ''Pierella hortona albofasciata'' Rosenberg & Talbot, 1914 (= ''P. albofaciata'' ''decepta'')
* '' Pierella hyalinus'' (Gmelin, 790 – glassy pierella
** ''Pierella hyalinus hyalinus'' (= ''Papilio hyalinus'', ''Pierella hyalinus fusimaculata'', ''Pieris dracontis'')
** ''Pierella hyalinus extincta'' Weymer, 1910
** ''Pierella hyalinus schmidti'' Constantino, 1995
** ''Pierella hyalinus velezi'' Constantino, 1995
* '' Pierella hyceta'' (Hewitson, 1859) – golden lady slipper
** ''Pierella hyceta hyceta'' (= ''Haetera hyceta'')
** ''Pierella hyceta ceryce'' (Hewitson, 1874) (= ''Haetera ceryce'')
** ''Pierella hyceta latona'' (C.Felder & R.Felder, 1867) (= ''Haetera latona'')
*'' Pierella incanescens'' (Godman & Salvin, 1877)
* '' Pierella lamia'' (Sulzer, 1776) – Sulzer's lady slipper
** ''Pierella lamia lamia'' (= ''Papilio dyndimene'', ''Papilio lamia'', ''Papilio rhea'', ''Pierella lamia'' f. ''fabriciana'' , ''Pierella luna'' ab. ''albina'')
** ''Pierella lamia boliviana'' F.M.Brown, 1948
** ''Pierella lamia chalybaea'' Godman, 1905 (= ''Haetera lamia'' f. ''columbina'')
* '' Pierella lena'' (Linnaeus, 1767) – Lena pierella
** ''Pierella lena lena'' (= ''Papilio lena'', ''Papilio sectator'')
** ''Pierella lena brasiliensis'' (C.Felder & R.Felder, 1862) (= ''Haetera brasiliensis'', ''P. lena browni'', ''P. lena glaucolena'', ''P. lena'' f. ''melanosa'' (''nomen nudum''), ''P. lena'' f. ''obsoleta'')
* '' Pierella lucia'' Weymer, 1885 (= ''P. astyoche'' var. ''albomaculata'') – Lucia pierella
* '' Pierella luna'' (Fabricius, 1793) – Moon Satyr
** ''Pierella luna luna'' (= ''Papilio luna'', ''Pierella luna'' f. ''rubra'')
** ''Pierella luna lesbia'' Staudinger, 1887
** ''Pierella luna pallida'' (Salvin & Godman, 1868) (= ''Hetaera'' ''pallida'')
** ''Pierella luna rubecula'' Salvin & Godman, 1868 (= ''Haetera heracles'')
* '' Pierella nereis'' (Drury, 1782) (= ''Papilio nereis'')

References

Nymphalidae Study Group species list
*Urich, F. C., and T. C. Emmel. 1990. Life histories of Neotropical butterflies from Trinidad 1. ''Pierella hyalinus fusimaculata'' (Lepidoptera: Satyridae). ''Tropical Lepidoptera'' 1(1): 25-2
pdf

External links

Barcode of life
Images

Haeterini
Nymphalidae of South America
Butterfly genera
Taxa named by John O. Westwood

{{Satyrinae-stub