Nessaea

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: Biblidinae
Tribus: Biblidini
Subtribus: Epicalina
Genus: Nessaea
Species: N. aglaura – N. batesii – N. hewitsonii – N. obrinus
Name

Nessaea Hübner, 1819

Type species: Papilio ancaeus Linnaeus, 1758 (= Nessaea obrinus Linnaeus, 1758).
Synonyms

Polychroa Billberg 1820 currently viewed as a subjective junior synonym,
Epicallia Erichson 1848 invalid junior homonym of Epicallia Hübner, 1820

References

Jenkins, D.W., 1989: Neotropical Nymphalidae. VII. Revision of Nessaea. 38 pp., ill. Bulletin of the Allyn Museum 125: 1–38. Full article: [1].
Lamas, G., 2004: Atlas of Neotropical Lepidoptera. Checklist: Part 4A Hesperioidea - Papiionoidea. Gainesville: Scientific Publishers/Association of Tropical Lepidoptera.

Nessaea is a genus of nymphalid butterflies found in the Neotropical realm. Unlike virtually all other butterflies with blue coloration, the blue colors in this genus are due to pigmentation [pterobilin (biliverdin IXγ)][2] rather than iridescence (e.g., Morpho species).

Species

Accepted species:[1]

Nessaea aglaura Doubleday [1848] – common olivewing, northern nessaea or Aglaura olivewing
Nessaea ecuadorensis Talbot 1932
Nessaea batesii C. & R. Felder 1860 – Bates olivewing
Nessaea magniplaga Röber 1928
Nessaea hewitsonii C. & R. Felder 1859 – Hewitson's olivewing
Nessaea obrinus Linnaeus 1758 – obrina olivewing
Nessaea faventia Fruhstorfer 1910
Nessaea latifascia Röber 1928
Nessaea romani Bryk 1953
Nessaea regina Salvin 1869
Nessaea thalia Bargmann 1928

Unaccepted species:[1]

Nessaea margaretha Krüger 1933 - unavailable name and infrasubspecific name
Nessaea ancaeus Linnaeus 1767 - junior subjective synonym
Nessaea lesoudieri Le Moult 1933 - junior subjective synonym
Nessaea coniuncta Krüger 1933 - unavailable name and infrasubspecific name

References

Vane-Wright, R.I. 1979. The coloration, identification and phylogeny of Nessaea butterflies (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History), Entomology, 38: 27–56.

Beccaloni, G.; Scoble, M.; Kitching, I.; Simonsen, T.; Robinson, G.; Pitkin, B.; Hine, A.; Lyal, C., eds. (2003). "Nessaea". The Global Lepidoptera Names Index. Natural History Museum. Retrieved February 9, 2020.
Doug Taron, "It's all in the structure", Gossamer Tapestry, Retrieved January 25, 2017