Aulocera

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Endopterygota
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Cladus: Apoditrysia
Cladus: Obtectomera
Superfamilia: Papilionoidea

Familia: Nymphalidae
Subfamilia: Satyrinae
Tribus: Satyrini
Subtribus: Satyrina
Genus: Aulocera
Species: A. brahminus – A. merlina – A. padma – A. saraswati – A. swaha
Name

Aulocera Butler, 1867

Type species: Satyrus brahminus Blanchard, 1844 by subsequent designation by Butler, 1868
References
Additional references

Huang, H., 2001. Report of H. Huang's 2000 expedition to SE. Tibet for Rhopalocera (Insecta, Lepidoptera). Neue Entomologische Nachrichten 51: 65–151. PDF. Reference page.
Huang, H. 2019a. Supplements and amendments to the Chinese butterflies recently described or discussed (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae & Lycaenidae). Neue Entomologische Nachrichten 78: 265-273. Full article (PDF). Reference page.
Huang, H. & Wang, C.H. 2017. Notes on the genus Aulocera Butler from China with description of a new species from Yunnan (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae). Atalanta 48: 208–218. Reference page.
Sharma, N. & Rose, H.S., 2014: Additional notes on the Himalayan genus Aulocera Butler (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae). Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society, 68 (1): 17–24. Full article: [1].

Aulocera is a genus in the subfamily Satyrinae (or brown butterflies) of the brush-footed butterfly family, Nymphalidae. Commonly referred to as banded satyrs, species of the genus Aulocera are endemic to the Himalayas and associated mountain ranges.[1]

Taxonomy

Aulocera is considered to be a valid genus by some authorities[1] and a junior subjective synonym of the basal genus Satyrus by others.[2]
List of species

Aulocera sybillina Oberthür, 1890
Aulocera brahminus (Blanchard, 1853)
Aulocera brahminoides (Moore, 1901)
Aulocera magica Oberthür, 1886
Aulocera merlina Oberthür, 1890
Aulocera padma (Kollar, 1844)
Aulocera loha (Doherty, 1886)
Aulocera swaha (Kollar, 1844)
Aulocera saraswati (Kollar, 1844)

General description
For a key to the terms used, see Glossary of entomology terms.

Banded satyrs are large powerfully built Himalayan butterflies which are dark brown above. They are characterised by a white band across both wings. The wings have chequered fringes. A dark apical spot or ocellus is present on the forewing. The under hindwing is dark. The under hindwing is beautifully variegated with brown, white and grey.[3]

Males have an obscure brand on the forewing.[3]
Habits

Banded satyrs inhabit the Himalayas from moderate to considerable high altitudes. Fond of open country, they can found elsewhere especially on rocks and paths. Banded satyrs are very fond of sunshine.[3]

Their flight is both graceful and fast ... they settle often, occasionally on flowers ... possibly the finest of all Indian Satyrids.
— Mark Alexander Wynter-Blyth, Butterflies of the Indian Region (1957)

See also

Satyrinae
Nymphalidae
List of butterflies of India (Satyrinae)

References

Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera "Aulocera Butler, 1867" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). "Aulocera". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Natural History Museum.. Accessed 27 April 2017.

Wynter-Blyth, Mark Alexander (1957). Butterflies of the Indian Region. Bombay, India: Bombay Natural History Society. pp. 108–109. ISBN 978-8170192329.

Beccaloni, George; Scoble, Malcolm; Kitching, Ian; Simonsen, Thomas; Robinson, Gaden; Pitkin, Brian; Hine, Adrian; Lyal, Chris. "The Global Lepidoptera Names Index (LepIndex)". Natural History Museum, London. Retrieved 2016-10-15.
Evans, W.H. (1932). The Identification of Indian Butterflies (2nd ed.). Mumbai, India: Bombay Natural History Society.
"Markku Savela's website on Lepidoptera"..
Wynter-Blyth, Mark Alexander (1957). Butterflies of the Indian Region. Bombay, India: Bombay Natural History Society. ISBN 978-8170192329.