Nymphalidae

Largest butterfly family

Nymphalidae

Scientific classification
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Arthropoda
Class:  | Insecta
Order:  | Lepidoptera
Superfamily:  | Papilionoidea
Family:  | Nymphalidae
Rafinesque, 1815
Subfamilies

* Apaturinae
* Biblidinae
* Calinaginae
* Charaxinae
* Cyrestinae
* Danainae
* Heliconiinae
* Libytheinae
* Limenitidinae
* Morphinae
* Nymphalinae
* Satyrinae

and see text

Diversity
Over 600 genera
About 5,700 species
Peacock (Aglais io) Crimson-spotted forester (Euphaedra themis) Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) Dark blue tiger (Tirumala septentrionis) Small pearl-bordered fritillary (Boloria selene) Crescent butterfly nectaring on yellow ironweed

The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called brush-footed butterflies or four-footed butterflies, because they are known to stand on only four legs while the other two are curled up; in some species, these forelegs have a brush-like set of hairs, which gives this family its other common name. Many species are brightly coloured and include popular species such as the emperors, monarch butterfly, admirals, tortoiseshells, and fritillaries. However, the under wings are, in contrast, often dull and in some species look remarkably like dead leaves, or are much paler, producing a cryptic effect that helps the butterflies blend into their surroundings.

## Nomenclature

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Rafinesque[1] introduced the name Nymphalia as a subfamily name in diurnal Lepidoptera. Rafinesque did not include Nymphalis among the listed genera, but Nymphalis was unequivocally implied in the formation of the name (Code Article 11.7.1.1). The attribution of the Nymphalidae to Rafinesque has now been widely adopted.[2]

## Morphology

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For an explanation of technical terms, see External morphology of Lepidoptera.

In the adult butterflies, the first pair of legs is small or reduced,[3] giving the family the other names of four-footed or brush-footed butterflies. The caterpillars are hairy or spiky with projections on the head, and the chrysalids have shiny spots.

The trait for which these butterflies are most known is the use of only four legs; the reason their forelegs have become vestigial is not yet completely clear. Some suggest the forelegs are used to amplify the sense of smell, because some species possess a brush-like set of soft hair called setae, which has led researchers to believe the forelegs are used to improve signaling and communication between the species, while standing in the other four. This ability proves useful in terms of reproduction and the overall health of the species, and it is the leading theory so far.[4]

The forewings have the submedial vein (vein 1) unbranched and in one subfamily forked near the base; the medial vein has three branches, veins 2, 3, and 4; veins 5 and 6 arise from the points of junction of the discocellulars; the subcostal vein and its continuation beyond the apex of cell, vein 7, has never more than four branches, veins 8–11; 8 and 9 always arise from vein 7, 10, and 11 sometimes from vein 7 but more often free, i.e., given off by the subcostal vein before apex of the cell.[5]

The hindwings have internal (1a) and precostal veins. The cell in both wings is closed or open, often closed in the fore, open in the hindwing. The dorsal margin of the hindwing is channelled to receive the abdomen in many of the forms.[5]

The antennae always have two grooves on the underside; the club is variable in shape. Throughout the family, the front pair of legs in the male, and with three exceptions (Libythea, Pseudergolis, and Calinaga) in the female also, is reduced in size and functionally impotent; in some, the atrophy of the forelegs is considerable, e.g., the Danainae and Satyrinae. In many of the forms of these subfamilies, the forelegs are kept pressed against the underside of the thorax, and are in the male often very inconspicuous.[5]

### Distribution and Habitat

[edit]

Several species within the Nymphalidae family have exhibited notable phenological shifts, such as earlier spring emergence, in response to rising global temperatures. These shifts reflect evolutionary plasticity, but they may also lead to mismatches with host plant availability and pollination networks, potentially impacting long-term survival and ecological roles.

### Systematics and phylogeny

[edit]

The phylogeny of the Nymphalidae is complex. Several taxa are of unclear position, reflecting the fact that some subfamilies were formerly well-recognized as distinct families due to insufficient study.[6]

The five main clades within the family are:[7]

The libytheine clade (basal)

* Libytheinae (snout butterflies, earlier treated as the distinct family Libytheidae)

The danaine clade (basal)

* Danainae (milkweed butterflies, earlier treated as the distinct family Danaidae)

Host plant families include Apocynaceae, Asclepiadoideae (subfamily of Apocynaceae), and Moraceae.

* Ithomiini (about 300 Neotropical species, sometimes considered a subfamily Ithomiinae)

Most species have long wings, and some have transparent wings. Host plants are in the families Apocynaceae, Gesneriaceae, and Solanaceae.

* Tellervini (about 6–10 species in Australasia, sometimes considered a subfamily Tellervinae)

Caterpillars resemble those of the Danainae and feed on Apocynaceae.

The satyrine clade

* Calinaginae (about six species, restricted to the Himalayas)

Mimics of the Danainae, they are restricted to host plants in the family Moraceae.[8]

* Charaxinae

Tropical canopy butterflies, the caterpillars often have head spines or projections. Mostly edible species, have some Batesian mimics. Host plants are in the families Annonaceae, Celastraceae, Convolvulaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fabaceae, Flacourtiaceae, Lauraceae, Myrtaceae, Piperaceae, Poaceae, Rhamnaceae, Rutaceae, Santalaceae, and Sapindaceae.[8]

* Morphinae (including Amathusiini, sometimes considered a subfamily Amathusiinae)

Include the spectacular neotropical Morpho, its food plants include the Arecaceae, Bignoniaceae, Fabaceae, Menispermaceae, Poaceae, and Sapindaceae.

* Brassolini (owls, neotropical with 70–80 species, mostly crepuscular, sometimes considered a subfamily Brassolinae)

Host plants in the families Arecaceae, Bromeliaceae, Heliconiaceae, Musaceae, and Poaceae.[8]

* Satyrinae (satyrs and browns, earlier treated as distinct family Satyridae)

Host plants are in the families Arecaceae, Araceae, Cyperaceae, Heliconiaceae, Poaceae, and Selaginellaceae.

The heliconiine clade (sister group of the nymphaline clade, excludes former tribes Biblidini and Cyrestini, and tribes Pseudergolini and Coeini)

* Heliconiinae (earlier treated as distinct family Heliconiidae)

Colourful tropical butterflies, they are noted for Müllerian mimicry. All species use host plants in the family Passifloraceae.

* Acraeini (mostly African, but some species in Asia, sometimes considered a family Acraeinae)

Host plants are in the families Asteraceae, Passifloraceae, Sterculiaceae, Tiliaceae, and Urticaceae.

* Limenitidinae

The nymphaline clade (sister group of the heliconiine clade, also includes tribes Coeini and Pseudergolini)

* Apaturinae (mostly tropical)

Host plants are in the family Ulmaceae. Caterpillars are smooth with bifid tails and horns on the head.[8]

* Biblidinae (formerly in Limenitidinae)
* Cyrestinae (formerly in Limenitidinae)
* Nymphalinae (a large subfamily that sometimes includes the Limenitidinae and Biblidinae)

Some species migrate. Caterpillars are sometimes covered in spines. Host plants include Acanthaceae, Caprifoliaceae, Convolvulaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Fagaceae, Flacourtiaceae, Lamiaceae, Loranthaceae, Moraceae, Plantaginaceae, Poaceae, Rubiaceae, Rutaceae, Salicaceae, Sapindaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Urticaceae, and Verbenaceae.[8]

### Example species from this family

[edit]

* Actinote zikani, genus Actinote
* Archdukes, genus Lexias
* California tortoiseshell, Nymphalis californica
* Comma, Polygonia c-album
* Common buckeye, Junonia coenia
* Common snout butterfly, Libytheana carinenta
* Cracker butterflies, genus Hamadryas
* Crimson patch, Chlosyne janais
* Edith's checkerspot, Euphydryas editha
* Grayling (butterfly), Hipparchia semele
* Hackberry emperor, Asterocampa celtis
* Lorquin's admiral, Limenitis lorquini
* Marsh fritillary, Euphydryas aurinia
* Meadow brown, Maniola jurtina
* Mourning cloak, Nymphalis antiopa
* Monarch butterfly, Danaus plexippus
* Blue morpho, Morpho menelaus
* Painted lady, Vanessa cardui
* Peacock, Aglais io
* Plain tiger, Danaus chrysippus
* Question mark, Polygonia interrogationis
* Red admiral, Vanessa atalanta
* Small heath, Coenonympha pamphilus
* Small tortoiseshell, Nymphalis urticae
* Gatekeeper, Pyronia tithonus
* Small pearl-bordered fritillary, Boloria selene
* Andromeda satyr, Cithaerias andromeda
* Texan crescentspot butterfly, Anthanassa texana texana
* Zerene fritillary, Speyeria zerene (includes several subspecies such as Oregon silverspot, Speyeria zerene hippolyta)

## See also

[edit]

* Insects portal
* Arthropods portal

* List of fritillaries (butterflies)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Rafinesque, C.S. (1815). Analyse de la Nature, ou Tableau de l'Univers et des Corps Organisés. Jean Barravecceia: Palermo. 224 pages, p 127.
2. ^ Vane-Wright & de Jong, 2003: 167; Pelham, 2008; Wahlberg, 2010
3. ^ Wolfe, Joanna M.; Oliver, Jeffrey C.; Monteiro, Antónia (2011-01-01). "Evolutionary reduction of the first thoracic limb in butterflies". Journal of Insect Science. 11 (1): 66. doi:10.1673/031.011.6601. ISSN 1536-2442. PMC 3281478. PMID 21867433.
4. ^ Gould, S. E. "Butterfly watch: four legs vs. six legs". Scientific American. Retrieved 7 Sep 2013.
5. ^ a b c Bingham, C. T. (1905). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Butterflies Volume I. London: Taylor and Francis, Ltd.
6. ^ Kolesnichenko, K. A., & Kotlobay, A. A. (2022). Review of the fritillary species systematically close to Melitaea lutko Evans, 1932 (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) with analysis of their geographic distribution and interrelations with host plants. European Journal of Taxonomy, 830, 1–43. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2022.830.1865
7. ^ Niklas Wahlberg, Elisabet Weingartner & Sören Nylin (2003). Gisella Caccone & Giacomo Bernardi (ed.). "Papers presented at the Mammalian Phylogeny symposium during the 2002 Annual Meeting of the Society for Molecular Biology and Evolution, Sorrento, Italy, June 13–16, 2002 (Chapter: Towards a better understanding of the higher systematics of Nymphalidae (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea))" (PDF). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 28 (3): 473–484\. doi:10.1016/S1055-7903(03)00052-6. PMID 12927132. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2007-10-25.
8. ^ a b c d e Philip J. DeVries (2001). "Nymphalidae". In Simon A. Levin (ed.). Encyclopedia of Biodiversity. Academic Press. pp. 559–573. doi:10.1016/B0-12-226865-2/00039-0. ISBN 978-0-12-226865-6.

## Further reading

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* Glassberg, Jeffrey Butterflies through Binoculars, The West (2001)
* Guppy, Crispin S. and Shepard, Jon H. Butterflies of British Columbia (2001)
* James, David G. and Nunnallee, David Life Histories of Cascadia Butterflies (2011)
* Pelham, Jonathan Catalogue of the Butterflies of the United States and Canada (2008)
* Pyle, Robert Michael The Butterflies of Cascadia (2002)

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nymphalidae.

Wikispecies has information related to Nymphalidae.

* Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility (2003): Family Nymphalidae
* Nymphalidae "Family Nymphalidae". Insecta.pro.
* Peter Chew: Danaids and Browns - Family Nymphalidae, Brisbane butterflies web site (2005).
* Tree of Life Web Project: Nymphalidae
* Nymphalidae from all over the world

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Extant Lepidoptera families

* Kingdom: Animalia
* Phylum: Arthropoda
* Class: Insecta
* Subclass: Pterygota
* Infraclass: Neoptera
* Superorder: Holometabola

Suborder Zeugloptera

| Micropterigoidea|

Micropterigidae (mandibulate archaic moths)

|

Suborder Aglossata

| Agathiphagoidea|

Agathiphagidae (kauri moths)

|

Suborder Heterobathmiina

| Heterobathmioidea|

Heterobathmiidae

|

Suborder Glossata

| Dacnonypha|

| Eriocranioidea|

* Eriocraniidae

|

Acanthoctesia|

| Acanthopteroctetoidea|

* Acanthopteroctetidae (archaic sun moths)

|

Lophocoronina|

| Lophocoronoidea|

Lophocoronidae

|

Neopseustina|

| Neopseustoidea|

* Aenigmatineidae
* Neopseustidae (archaic bell moths)

|

Exoporia|

| Hepialoidea|

* Anomosetidae
* Hepialidae (swift moths, ghost moths)
* Neotheoridae (Amazonian primitive ghost moths)
* Palaeosetidae (miniature ghost moths)
* Prototheoridae (African primitive ghost moths)

|

Mnesarchaeoidea|

* Mnesarchaeidae (New Zealand primitive moths)

| M

| Adeloidea|

Adelidae (fairy longhorn moths)
Cecidosidae
Heliozelidae
Incurvariidae
Prodoxidae (yucca moths)

|

Andesianoidea|

* Andesianidae (Andean endemic moths)

Nepticuloidea|

Nepticulidae (pigmy, or midget moths)
Opostegidae (white eyecap moths)

Palaephatoidea|

Palaephatidae (Gondwanaland moths)

Tischerioidea|

Tischeriidae (trumpet leaf miner moths)

| Simaethistoidea|

Simaethistidae

|

Tineoidea|

Acrolophidae (burrowing webworm moths)
Arrhenophanidae
Eriocottidae (Old World spiny-winged moths)
Psychidae (bagworm moths)
Tineidae (fungus moths)

Gracillarioidea|

Bucculatricidae (ribbed cocoon makers)
Douglasiidae (Douglas moths)
Gracillariidae
Roeslerstammiidae

Yponomeutoidea|

Acrolepiidae (false diamondback moths)
Bedelliidae
Glyphipterigidae (sedge moths)
Heliodinidae
Lyonetiidae
Plutellidae
Yponomeutidae (ermine moths)
Ypsolophidae

Gelechioidea|

Autostichidae
Batrachedridae
Blastobasidae
Coleophoridae (case-bearers, case moths)
Cosmopterigidae (cosmet moths)
Elachistidae (grass-miner moths)
Gelechiidae (twirler moths)
Lecithoceridae (long-horned moths)
Lypusidae
Metachandidae
Momphidae (mompha moths)
Oecophoridae (concealer moths)
Pterolonchidae
Scythrididae (flower moths)
Xyloryctidae (timber moths)

Galacticoidea|

Galacticidae

Zygaenoidea|

Heterogynidae
Zygaenidae (burnet, forester, or smoky moths)
Himantopteridae
Lacturidae
Somabrachyidae
Megalopygidae (flannel moths)
Aididae
Anomoeotidae
Cyclotornidae
Epipyropidae (planthopper parasite moths)
Dalceridae (slug caterpillars)
Limacodidae (slug, or cup moths)

Cossoidea|

Cossidae (carpenter millers, or goat moths)
Dudgeoneidae (dudgeon carpenter moths)

Sesioidea|

Brachodidae (little bear moths)
Castniidae (castniid moths: giant butterfly-moths, sun moths)
Sesiidae (clearwing moths)

Choreutoidea|

Choreutidae (metalmark moths)

Tortricoidea|

Tortricidae (tortrix moths)

Urodoidea|

Urodidae (false burnet moths)

Schreckensteinioidea|

Schreckensteiniidae (bristle-legged moths)

Epermenioidea|

Epermeniidae (fringe-tufted moths)

Alucitoidea|

Alucitidae (many-plumed moths)
Tineodidae (false plume moths)

Pterophoroidea|

Pterophoridae (plume moths)

Whalleyanoidea|

Whalleyanidae

Immoidea|

Immidae

Copromorphoidea|

Copromorphidae (tropical fruitworm moths)
Carposinidae (fruitworm moths)

Thyridoidea|

Thyrididae (picture-winged leaf moths)

Calliduloidea|

Callidulidae (Old World butterfly-moths)

Papilionoidea
(butterflies)|

Papilionidae (swallowtail butterflies)
Hedylidae (American moth-butterflies)
Hesperiidae (skippers)
Pieridae (whites, yellows, orangetips, sulphurs)
Riodinidae (metalmarks)
Lycaenidae (gossamer-winged butterflies: blues, coppers and relatives)
Nymphalidae (brush-footed, or four-footed butterflies)

Hyblaeoidea|

Hyblaeidae (teak moths)

Pyraloidea|

Pyralidae (snout moths)
Crambidae (grass moth)

Mimallonoidea|

Mimallonidae (sack bearer moths)

Lasiocampoidea|

Lasiocampidae (eggars, snout moths, or lappet moths)

Bombycoidea|

Anthelidae (Australian lappet moth)
Apatelodidae (American silkworm moths)
Bombycidae (silk moths)
Brahmaeidae (Brahmin moths)
Carthaeidae (Dryandra moth)
Endromidae (Kentish glory and relatives)
Eupterotidae
Phiditiidae
Saturniidae (saturniids)
Sphingidae (hawk moths, sphinx moths and hornworms)

Noctuoidea|

Erebidae (underwing, tiger, tussock, litter, snout, owlet moths)
Euteliidae
Noctuidae (daggers, sallows, owlet moths, quakers, cutworms, darts)
Nolidae (tuft moths)
Notodontidae (prominents, kittens)
Oenosandridae

Drepanoidea|

Drepanidae (hook-tips)
Cimeliidae (gold moths)
Doidae

Geometroidea|

Sematuridae
Pseudobistonidae
Epicopeiidae (oriental swallowtail moths)
Uraniidae
Geometridae (geometer moths)

incertae sedis|

Millieriidae

Note: division Monotrysia is not a clade.

* Taxonomy of the Lepidoptera
* Lists by region

Taxon identifiers

Nymphalidae|

* Wikidata: Q156449
* Wikispecies: Nymphalidae
* ADW: Nymphalidae
* AFD: Nymphalidae
* BAMONA: Nymphalidae
* BioLib: 17299
* BOLD: 723
* BugGuide: 192
* CoL: DGC
* EoL: 876
* EPPO: 1NYMPF
* Fauna Europaea: 7202
* Fauna Europaea (new): 24c56ea2-9787-4cf5-995b-fcdcfeb0b576
* GBIF: 7017
* iNaturalist: 47922
* Insecta.pro: 93
* IRMNG: 114362
* ITIS: 117276
* NBN: NBNSYS0000160544
* NCBI: 33415
* NZOR: e1ca03a2-3aec-414c-8039-e544ff1bb0d8
* Open Tree of Life: 358161
* Paleobiology Database: 135150
* WoRMS: 989033

Authority control databases

National|

* United States
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* BnF data
* Czech Republic
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Other|

* Yale LUX

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