Prothoe
Encyclopedia
Prothoe is a genus of charaxine
butterflies in the family Nymphalidae
. Two of the three species are virtually restricted to western and central Melanesia
, but the most widespread species, P. franck, occurs throughout a large part of southeast Asia
and as far northwest as Assam
in India
.
Charaxinae
Charaxinae, the leafwings, is a nymphalid subfamily of butterflies that includes about 400 species, inhabiting mainly the tropics, although some species extend into temperate regions in North America, Europe, China and southern Australia. There are significant variations between the species...
butterflies in the family Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These 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...
. Two of the three species are virtually restricted to western and central Melanesia
Melanesia
Melanesia is a subregion of Oceania extending from the western end of the Pacific Ocean to the Arafura Sea, and eastward to Fiji. The region comprises most of the islands immediately north and northeast of Australia...
, but the most widespread species, P. franck, occurs throughout a large part of southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
and as far northwest as Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
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...
.
Taxonomy
Species in this genus are:- Prothoe australis (Guérin-Méneville, [1831])
- Prothoe ribbei Rothschild, 1895
- Prothoe franckProthoe franckThe Blue Begum is a butterfly species found in Assam in northeastern India and throughout a large part of southeast Asia.It belongs to the leafwings in the brush-footed butterflies family.-References:...
(Godart, [1824])