List of butterflies of the Amazon River basin and the Andes

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A glasswing butterfly Haetera piera, Canaima National Park, Venezuela Haetera piera - Ptari tepuy - Gran Sabana.jpg
A glasswing butterfly Haetera piera , Canaima National Park, Venezuela

This is a list of butterflies of the Amazon River basin and the Andes.

Contents

The Amazon River basin may be the most speciose region for butterflies. Nine countries have territory in the Amazon River basin or immediately adjoin this region: Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, and French Guiana. The Andes extend from north to south through seven South American countries: Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. The fauna of the Andes is also diverse. Both regions have many endemic species. South America as a whole constitutes the Neotropical realm. Habitats in these two regions are very various and include Amazon rainforest, Atlantic forest, Llanos grasslands, Puna grassland and Valdivian temperate forests. Peru east of the Andes is regarded as the most important biodiversity hotspot in the world. The two regions (Amazon and Andes) are South America proper excluding the pampas plains of Uruguay and Paraguay which have a distinct butterfly fauna.

Isolation has led to the evolution of endemic higher taxa. Instances are Ithomiinae, Dismorphiinae, Phyciodina, Pyrrhopygini, Eumaeini (over 1,000 species), Pronophilina and Eudaminae. Endemic genera (among very many) include Morpho , Agrias , Prepona Caligo , Cithaerias , Catagramma , Parides , Hamadryas , Nessaea , Marpesia , Melanis Mesosemia , Symmachia , Evenus , Memphis , Pierella , and Astraptes . Other higher taxa are most speciose in the Neotropics, for instance Riodininae. Many species, notably Heliconius , are members of complex mimicry rings. Adaptive radiation has led to many species being geographically diverse. Examples are Consul fabius and Mechanitis lysimnia .

Notable entomologists associated with Neotropical butterflies are Jean-Baptiste Godart, Henry Walter Bates, William Chapman Hewitson, Hans Fruhstorfer, Otto Staudinger, Karl Jordan and Walter Rothschild, Anton Hermann Fassl, Hermann Burmeister, William Schaus, Eugène Le Moult, Richard Haensch, Gustav Weymer, Ferdinand Heinrich Hermann Strecker, Andrey Avinoff, Carlos Berg, and Vladimir Nabokov.

Papilionidae

Papilioninae

Riodinidae

Pieridae

Coliadinae

Dismorphiinae

Pierinae

Lycaenidae

Polyommatinae

Theclinae

Nymphalidae

Apaturinae

Biblidinae

Charaxinae

Cyrestinae

Danainae

Heliconiinae

Libytheinae

Limenitidinae

Morphinae

Nymphalinae

Satyrinae

Hesperiidae

Hesperiinae

Pyrginae

Eudaminae

Pyrrhopyginae

Related Research Articles

<i>Eunica</i> Genus of brush-footed butterflies

Eunica is a genus of nymphalid butterflies found in the Neotropical realm.

<i>Memphis</i> (butterfly) Genus of butterflies

Memphis, described by Jacob Hübner in 1819, is a Neotropical nymphalid butterfly genus in the subfamily Charaxinae.

<i>Adelpha</i> Genus of brush-footed butterflies

Adelpha is a genus of brush-footed butterflies found from the southern United States and Mexico to South America. They are commonly known as sisters, due to the white markings on their wings, which resemble a nun's habit. This genus is sometimes included with the admiral butterflies (Limenitis).

<i>Emesis</i> (butterfly) Genus of butterflies

Emesis is a Neotropical genus of butterflies.

<i>Dynamine</i> Genus of brush-footed butterflies

Dynamine is a genus of nymphalid butterflies found in South America.

<i>Euselasia</i> Genus of butterflies

Euselasia is a genus of butterflies in the family Riodinidae. They are present only in the Neotropical realm. The genus was erected by Jacob Hübner in 1819.

<i>Mesosemia</i> Genus of butterflies

Mesosemia is a genus in the butterfly family Riodinidae present only in the Neotropical realm.

<i>Nymphidium</i> Genus of butterflies

Nymphidium is a genus in the butterfly family Riodinidae present only in the Neotropical realm.

<i>Argyrogrammana</i> Genus of butterflies

Argyrogrammana is a butterfly genus in the family Riodinidae. They are resident in the Neotropics.

<i>Calospila</i> Genus of butterflies

Calospila is a butterfly genus in the family Riodinidae. They are resident in the Americas.

References

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