List of butterflies of India (Riodinidae)
Encyclopedia
The family Riodinidae
Riodinidae
The Riodinidae are a family of butterflies. The common name "metalmarks" refers to the small metallic-looking spots commonly found on their wings. There are approximately 1,000 species of metalmark butterflies in the world...

 or Metalmarks are a family of small Old and New world butterflies. The common name refers to the bright, metallic spots marking the wings of many of its members.

In India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

 they are better referred to as the family of Punches and Judies. Only 16 of the 1000 species are found in India.

Distinguishing features

  • Some consider this family as a subfamily of the Lycaenidae
    Lycaenidae
    The Lycaenidae are the second-largest family of butterflies, with about 6000 species worldwide, whose members are also called gossamer-winged butterflies...

    . Like the lycaenids, the males of this family have reduced forelegs while the females have full-sized, fully functional forelegs.
  • In addition to the traits listed above, the butterflies are generally characterized by
    • the foreleg of most males, in addition to being reduced, has a uniquely shaped first segment (the coxa
      Coxa
      Coxa may refer to:* Theta Leonis, a star* Nickname of Brazilian soccer team Coritiba Foot Ball Club* Hip, below the lateral side of the abdomen* The short most-proximal base jointed segment of the arthropod leg...

      ) which extends beyond its joint with the second segment, rather than meeting it flush;
    • the hindwing exhibits unique venation; and
    • most species perch on the undersides of leaves with the wings held open and completely flat.

Classification

The family Riodinidae
Riodinidae
The Riodinidae are a family of butterflies. The common name "metalmarks" refers to the small metallic-looking spots commonly found on their wings. There are approximately 1,000 species of metalmark butterflies in the world...

 has two subfamilies of which only one is found in India. These subfamilies are
  • Euselasiinae (2 genera. Does not occur in India.)
  • Riodininae
    Riodininae
    The Riodininae are the larger by far of the subfamilies of the metalmark butterfly family, Riodinidae. The latter was long united with the Lycaenidae....

    (36 genera.)

List of species

This list of the Riodinid butterflies of India acts as an index to the species articles and forms part of the full list of butterflies of India.

Genus Zemeros, The Punchinello

  • Punchinello
    Zemeros flegyas
    The Punchinello is a small butterfly found in South Asia and Southeast Asia that belongs to the Riodinidae family.-Description:Like many tropical butterflies they show different wet and dry season forms.-Wet-season form:...

    , Zemeros flegyas (Cramer
    Pieter Cramer
    Pieter Cramer , was a wealthy Dutch merchant in linen and Spanish wool, and an entomologist. Cramer was the director of the Zealand Society, a scientific society located in Flushing and a member of Concordia et Libertate, based in Amsterdam...

    , 1780)

Genus Dodona, The Punches

  • Common Punch
    Dodona durga
    The Common Punch is a small but striking butterfly found in South Asia that belongs to the Punches and Judies , that is, the family Riodinidae.-Description:...

    , Dodona durga (Kollar & Redtenbacher
    Ludwig Redtenbacher
    Ludwig Redtenbacher Ludwig Redtenbacher Ludwig Redtenbacher (June 10, 1814 in Kirchdorf an der Krems, Austria - February 8, 1876 in Vienna was an Austrian doctor and entomologist mainly interested in beetles....

    , 1844)
  • Lesser Punch
    Dodona dipoea
    The Lesser Punch is a small but striking butterfly found in India that belongs to the Punches and Judies, that is, the family Riodinidae....

    , Dodona dipoea (Hewitson
    William Chapman Hewitson
    William Chapman Hewitson was a British naturalist, born on 9 January 1806 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and died on 28 May 1878. A wealthy collector, this naturalist was particularly devoted to the Coleoptera and the Lepidoptera and, also, to bird's nests and eggs...

    , 1865)
  • Punch
    Dodona eugenes
    The Punch is a small but striking butterfly found in sub-Himalayan South Asia that belongs to the Punches and Judies, that is, the family Riodinidae.-Description:...

    , Dodona eugenes (Bates
    Henry Walter Bates
    Henry Walter Bates FRS FLS FGS was an English naturalist and explorer who gave the first scientific account of mimicry in animals. He was most famous for his expedition to the Amazon with Alfred Russel Wallace in 1848. Wallace returned in 1852, but lost his collection in a shipwreck...

    , 1867)
  • Orange Punch
    Dodona egeon
    The Orange Punch is a small but striking butterfly found in India that belongs to the family Riodinidae family ....

    , Dodona egeon (Westwood
    John Obadiah Westwood
    John Obadiah Westwood was an English entomologist and archaeologist also noted for his artistic talents.Born in Sheffield, he studied to be a lawyer but abandoned that for his scientific interests....

    , 1851)
  • Mixed Punch
    Dodona ouida
    The Mixed Punch is a small but striking butterfly found in India that belongs to the Punches and Judies, that is, the family Riodinidae.-Description:...

    , Dodona ouida (Hewitson
    William Chapman Hewitson
    William Chapman Hewitson was a British naturalist, born on 9 January 1806 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and died on 28 May 1878. A wealthy collector, this naturalist was particularly devoted to the Coleoptera and the Lepidoptera and, also, to bird's nests and eggs...

    , 1865)
  • Striped Punch, Dodona adonira, (Hewitson
    William Chapman Hewitson
    William Chapman Hewitson was a British naturalist, born on 9 January 1806 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and died on 28 May 1878. A wealthy collector, this naturalist was particularly devoted to the Coleoptera and the Lepidoptera and, also, to bird's nests and eggs...

    , 1865)
  • White Punch
    Dodona henrici
    The White Punch is a small but striking butterfly found in India that belongs to the Punches and Judies, that is, the family Riodinidae.-References:...

    , Dodona henrici (Holland
    William Jacob Holland
    William Jacob Holland was the eighth Chancellor of the University of Pittsburgh and Director of the Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh. He was an accomplished zoologist and paleontologist, as well as an ordained Presbyterian minister.-Life:Holland was born August 16, 1848 in Jamaica, West Indies, the...

    , 1887)


Genus Abisara, The Judies

  • Dark Judy
    Abisara fylla
    The Dark Judy is a small but striking butterfly found in India that belongs to the Punches and Judies, that is, the family Riodinidae.-Description:...

    , Abisara fylla (Westwood
    John Obadiah Westwood
    John Obadiah Westwood was an English entomologist and archaeologist also noted for his artistic talents.Born in Sheffield, he studied to be a lawyer but abandoned that for his scientific interests....

    , 1851)
  • Tailed Judy
    Abisara neophron
    The Tailed Judy is a small but striking butterfly found in India that belongs to the Punches and Judies family.-Description:...

    , Abisara neophron (Hewitson
    William Chapman Hewitson
    William Chapman Hewitson was a British naturalist, born on 9 January 1806 in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and died on 28 May 1878. A wealthy collector, this naturalist was particularly devoted to the Coleoptera and the Lepidoptera and, also, to bird's nests and eggs...

    , 1860)
  • Spot Judy
    Abisara chela
    The Spot Judy is a small but striking butterfly found in India that belongs to the .-Description:Closely resembles Abisara neophron but is smaller in both sexes and differs as follows:...

    , Abisara chela (de Nicéville
    Lionel de Nicéville
    Charles Lionel Augustus de Nicéville was a curator at the Indian Museum in Calcutta . He studied the butterflies of South Asia and wrote a three volume monograph on the butterflies of India, Pakistan, Burma and Sri Lanka.Born in a noble Huguenot family, his father was a physician. He was educated...

    ,1886)
  • Malay Tailed Judy
    Abisara savitri
    The Malay Tailed Judy is a small butterfly found in India that belongs to the Punches and Judies, that is, the family Riodinidae.-References:...

    , Abisara savitri (Felder
    Cajetan Freiherr von Felder
    Baron Cajetan von Felder, German: Cajetan Freiherr von Felder was an Austrian jurist, politician, and entomologist...

    , 1860)
  • Plum Judy
    Abisara echerius
    The Plum Judy is a small but striking butterfly found in Asia belonging to the Punches and Judies family. This active butterfly is usually seen at the tops of trees and amidst foliage....

    , Abisara echerius (Moore
    Frederic Moore
    Frederic Moore FZS was a British entomologist. It has been said that Moore was born at 33 Bruton Street but may be incorrect given that this was the address of the menagerie and office of the Zoological Society of London from 1826 to 1836.Moore was appointed an assistant in the East India Company...

    , 1901)
  • Straight Plum Judy
    Abisara kausambi
    The Straight Plum Judy is a small but striking butterfly found in India that belongs to the Punches and Judies, that is, the family Riodinidae.-References:* Evans, W.H. The Identification of Indian Butterflies...

    , Abisara kausambi (Felder
    Cajetan Freiherr von Felder
    Baron Cajetan von Felder, German: Cajetan Freiherr von Felder was an Austrian jurist, politician, and entomologist...

    , 1860)

Genus Taxila, The Harlequin

  • Harlequin
    Taxila haquinus
    The harlequin or orange harlequin is a small but striking butterfly from the family Riodinidae. It is found from India east to Palawan and south to Java. It is the only species in the genus Taxila.-References:...

    , Taxila haquinus (Fabricius
    Johan Christian Fabricius
    Johan Christian Fabricius was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others...

    , 1793)

Genus Stiboges, The Columbine

  • Columbine
    Stiboges nymphidia
    The Columbine is a small but striking butterfly found in India that belongs to the "punches and judies" group of metalmark butterflies ....

    , Stiboges nymphidia (Butler
    Arthur Gardiner Butler
    Arthur Gardiner Butler was an English entomologist, arachnologist and ornithologist...

    , 1876)

Life cycle

  • Eggs - Eggs vary in shape but often appear round and flattened.
  • Larva - The caterpillars are usually hairy, plump, and are the common overwintering stage.
  • Pupa - Pupa are hairy and attached with silk to either the host plant or to ground debris or leaf litter.There is no cocoon.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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