Melitaeini

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
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: Nymphalinae
Tribus: Melitaeini
Subtribus (5): Chlosynina – Euphydryina – ?Gnathotrichina – Melitaeina – Phyciodina

Overview of genera (22)

Anthanassa – Antillea – Atlantea – Castilia – Chlosyne – Dagon – Eresia – Euphydryas – Gnathotriche – Higginsius – Janatella – Mazia – Melitaea – Mellicta – Microtia – Ortilia – Phyciodes – Phystis – Poladryas – Tegosa – Telenassa – Tisona
Name

Melitaeini Newman, 1870
References

Long, E.C.; Thomson, R.C.; Shapiro, A.M. 2014: A time-calibrated phylogeny of the butterfly tribe Melitaeini. Molecular phylogenetics and evolution 79: 69–81. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2014.06.010 Reference page.

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.
Chlosyne janais, Campeche, Mexico
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:[1]

Subtribe Euphydryina

Euphydryas – fritillaries, checkerspots

Subtribe Melitaeina

Melitaea – fritillaries (including Didymaeformis, Mellicta)

Subtribe Chlosynina

Antillea Higgins, [1959]
Atlantea Higgins, [1959]
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

See references in Savela (2010)

References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Melitaeini.

Savela, Markku (2010): Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms – Melitaeini. Version of 30 June 2010. Retrieved 10 February 2011.