The palmflies are a common Asian butterfly genus found from India to the Solomon Islands. The caterpillars mimic leaves which they feed on. The adults mimic certain species (for example: E. cumaea looks like Melanitis leda).
Species This genus contains numerous species. They are listed below in alphabetical order within their species groups:"Elymnias Hübner, 1818" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
ceryx-group Elymnias ceryx (Boisduval, 1836) Elymnias kuenstleri Honrath, Elymnias pellucida Fruhstorfer, 1895
dara-group Elymnias dara Distant & Pryer, 1887
esaca-group Elymnias esaca (Westwood, 1851) Elymnias vasudeva Moore, 1857 – Jezebel palmfly
harterti-group Elymnias harterti Honrath, 1889
hypermnestra-group Elymnias caudata Butler, 1871 Elymnias hypermnestra (Linnaeus, 1763) – common palmfly Elymnias leucocyma Godart, 1819 (incertae sedis) Elymnias merula Swinhoe, 1915 (incertae sedis)
melias-group Elymnias beza (Hewitson, 1877) Elymnias luteofasciata Okubo, 1980 Elymnias melias (C. & R. Felder, 1863) Elymnias sansoni Jumalon, 1975
nepheronides-group Elymnias nepheronides Fruhstorfer, 1907
nesaea-group Elymnias amoena Tsukada & Nishiyama, 1979 Elymnias kanekoi Tsukada & Nishiyama, 1980 Elymnias malelas (Hewitson, 1863) Elymnias nesaea (Linnaeus, 1764) – tiger palmfly Elymnias saola Monastyrskii, 2004 Elymnias saueri Distant, 1882
panthera-group Elymnias congruens Semper, 1887 Elymnias miyagawai Saito & Kishi, 2012 Elymnias obnubila Marshall & de Nicéville, 1883 Elymnias panthera (Fabricius, 1787) – tawny palmfly
penanga-group Elymnias penanga (Westwood, 1851) – pointed palmfly
papua-group Elymnias papua Wallace, 1869
paradoxa-group Elymnias paradoxa Staudinger, 1894
patna-group Elymnias patna (Westwood, 1851) – blue-striped palmfly Elymnias pealii Wood-Mason, 1883 – Peal's palmfly
vitellia-group Elymnias agondas (Boisduval, 1832) – palmfly Elymnias bornemanni Ribbe, 1889 Elymnias cumaea C. & R. Felder, Elymnias cybele (C. & R. Felder, 1860) Elymnias hicetas Wallace, 1869 Elymnias holofernes (Butler, 1882) Elymnias mimalon (Hewitson, 1861) Elymnias phrikonis Fruhstorfer, 1899 Elymnias resplendens Martin, 1929 Elymnias sangira Fruhstorfer, 1899 Elymnias umbratilis Joicey & Noakes, 1915 Elymnias vitellia (Stoll, )
Species not placed in a group Elymnias brookei Shelford, 1904 Elymnias casiphone Geyer, Elymnias casiphonides Semper, 1892 Elymnias cottonis (Hewitson, 1874) Elymnias detanii Aoki & Uémura, 1982 Elymnias hewitsoni Wallace, 1869 – Hewitson's palmfly Elymnias kamara Moore, Elymnias lise (Hemming, 1960) Elymnias nelsoni Corbet, 1942 Elymnias singhala Moore, – Ceylon palmfly Elymnias tamborana Okubo, 2010
Former species Elymniopsis bammakoo Westwood, 1851 – African palmfly
Mimicry Several species are mimics: Taenaris catops – E. agondas Euploea mulciber – E. kuenstleri Danaus chrysippus – E. hypermnestra Idea leuconoe – E. kuenstleri Delias pasithoe – E. esaca Parantica melaneus – E. ceryx
See also Elymniopsis
References
External links Examples of mimicry