| Eumaeus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Eumaeus atala female. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Lycaenidae |
| Tribe: | Eumaeini |
| Genus: | Eumaeus Hübner, 1819 [1] |
Eumaeus is a genus of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae, commonly known as cycadians. All known species are obligate herbivores on cycads.
Species of Eumaeus occur from central Mexico, Florida, and the West Indies to Bolivia, Brazil and Peru. E. atala occurs in the West Indies and Florida. E. childrenae and E. toxea both occur in Mexico, with some overlap in their ranges. E. godartii occurs in the Isthmus (southern Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama) and western South America. E. minyas and E. toxana both occur in South America east of the Andes. Their ranges are not well understood, but overlap in Peru. [2] The Isthmus and South American species of Eumaeus, E. godartii, E. minyas, and E. toxana, form a clade. [3]
Caterpillars of the genus Eumaeus are obligate herbivores of cycads in the genera Zamia , Dioon , and Ceratozamia . The caterpillars normally feed on leaves and stems, but in some cases have been observed feeding on strobili (reproductive cones). [4] Cycads harbor many toxins, including cycasin (a carcinogenic) and neurotoxic glucoside. Other glucoside toxins present may include macrozamin (de) and several neocycasins. [5] Eumaeus caterpillars have aposematic coloration, being bright red with yellow or white bands, and adults have red elements on their body and wings. The caterpillars sequester and retain the toxins consumed from cycad plant tissue, rendering all stages of Eumaeus distasteful to predators. [3]
With one known exception, each Zamia species hosts only one species of Eumaeus caterpillars. Relationships of many Zamia and Eumaeus species had not been established as of 2023. The known host dependencies of Eumaeus species on Zamia species include: Species in the Florida/Caribbean clade are hosts for caterpillars of E. atala. Species in the Fisheri clade, and Z. cremnophila of the Mega-Mexico A sub-clade, are hosts for caterpillars of E. childrenae. Some species in the Z. loddigessii species complex of the Mega-Mexico A sub-clade are hosts for caterpillars of E. toxea. Many species in the South American west of the Andes clade are hosts for caterpillars of E. godartii. Several species in the South American east of the Andes clade are hosts for caterpillars of E. minyas. One Zamia species found east of the Andes, Z. poeppigiana , is host for caterpillars of both E. minyas and E. toxana. Another Zamia species east of the Andes, Z. amazonum , also hosts caterpillars of E. toxana. [6]
| Image | Species | Common Name | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | E. atala (Poey, 1832) | Atala | West Indies, Florida | |
 | E. toxea (Godart, 1824) | Mexican cycadian [1] | Eastern and western Mexico to Nicaragua (southern Texas as very rare stray) | |
 | E. childrenae (G. Gray, 1832) | Great cycadian | Eastern and southern Mexico to Honduras | [= E. debora] |
 | E. godartii (Boisduval, 1870) | White-tipped cycadian | Nicaragua to western Ecuador | |
 | E. minyas (Hübner, [1809]) | Minyas cycadian | Colombia to Peru and central Brazil | |
| E. toxana (Boisduval, 1870) | Venezuela to Bolivia | |||
