Melitaeini are a group of brush-footed butterflies. Usually classified as a tribe of the Nymphalinae, they are sometimes raised to subfamily status as Melitaeinae. Common names include the highly ambiguous fritillaries (also used for some Heliconiinae), checkerspots, crescents, or crescentspots, and some genus-specific names.
Genera
The 20–25 genera of Melitaeini are divided among five subtribes; some species are also listed. The subtribes, in the presumed phylogenetic sequence, are:See references in Savela (2010)
Subtribe Euphydryina Euphydryas – fritillaries, checkerspots Subtribe Melitaeina Melitaea – fritillaries (including Didymaeformis, Mellicta) Subtribe Chlosynina Antillea Higgins, Atlantea Higgins, Chlosyne – checkerspots, patches Dymasia Higgins, 1960 Higginsius Hemming, 1964 (tentatively placed here; Gnathotrichina?) Microtia Bates, 1864 Poladryas Bauer, 1975 Texola Higgins, 1959 – checkerspots Texola elada – Elada checkerspot Subtribe Gnathotrichina Gnathotriche C. & R. Felder, 1862
Subtribe Phyciodina Anthanassa Scudder, 1875 – crescents, crescentspots Anthanassa ardys – Ardys crescent Anthanassa frisia – Cuban crescent, Cuban crescentspot Castilia Higgins, 1981 Dagon Higgins, 1981 Eresia Boisduval, 1836 Janatella Higgins, 1981 Mazia Higgins, 1981 Ortilia Higgins, 1981 Phyciodes – crescents, crescentspots Phystis Higgins, 1981 Tegosa Higgins, 1981 Tegosa anieta Telenassa Higgins, 1981 Tisona Higgins, 1981
Footnotes
References
Savela, Markku (2010): Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms – Melitaeini. Version of 30 June 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2011.