Polyura

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Polyura
Blue Nawab.jpg
Polyura schreiber
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Charaxes
Subgenus: Polyura
Billberg, 1820
Species

Many, see text

Polyura is a subgenus of butterflies also referred to as Nawab butterflies [1] [2] and belonging to the brush-footed butterfly subfamily Charaxinae, or leafwing butterflies. Like the large and conspicuous forest queens (subgenus Euxanthe ), they belong to the genus Charaxes , unique genus of the tribe Charaxini. [3] [4]

Contents

Distribution

Polyura butterflies are native to the Indomalayan and Australasian realms. They are widespread from Pakistan to Okinawa Island, and from China to Pacific Islands (Fiji, New Caledonia, Vanuatu).

Systematics

Taxonomy

The subgenus was revised in 1982 by Robert Leslie Smiles based on morphological characters. [2]

The genus Polyura was synonymized with the genus Charaxes in 2009 in a study investigating phylogenetic relationships among Charaxini using DNA sequencing. [3] However the genus Charaxes comprises many morphologically very different groups such as the subgenera Euxanthe and Polyura. A phylogenomic study is ongoing to resolve the phylogenetic placements of these different groups. The sister-group to Polyura seems to comprise the African species Charaxes paphianus and Charaxes pleione . [3] [4] Southeast Asian species of the genus Charaxes do not seem to be closely related to species of the subgenus Polyura. [3]

A comprehensive molecular phylogeny of the subgenus as well as several taxonomic studies have allowed a complete revision of the group. [4] [5] [6] A follow-up study investigating the biogeographical history of the subgenus suggested an origin in the Miocene about 12 million years ago in mainland Asia. The Australasian region was colonized later through dispersal.

Species

The subgenus is divided in three morphological groups supported by molecular phylogenetics: [4] [5] [6]

P. athamas group:

P. eudamippus group:

P. pyrrhus group:

Related Research Articles

<i>Polyura athamas</i> Species of butterfly

Polyura athamas, the common nawab, is a species of fast-flying canopy butterfly found in tropical Asia. It belongs to the Charaxinae in the brush-footed butterfly family (Nymphalidae).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charaxinae</span> Subfamily of butterfly family Nymphalidae

The Charaxinae, the leafwings, are 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. Significant variations exist between the species. For example, some are medium sized and bright orange above, but mottled gray or brown below. This underwing coloration helps them resemble a dead leaf when they are at rest, as they keep their wings closed. With relatively few exceptions, the hindwings of the members of this subfamily have jagged edges.

<i>Polyura arja</i> Species of butterfly

Polyura arja, the pallid nawab, is a butterfly belonging to the rajahs and nawabs group, that is, the Charaxinae subfamily of the brush-footed butterflies family.

<i>Charaxes agrarius</i> Species of butterfly

Charaxes agrarius, the anomalous nawab, is a butterfly found in Asia that belongs to the rajahs and nawabs group, that is, the Charaxinae subfamily of the brush-footed butterflies family. The name is based on their resemblance to the common nawab, which was described before the discovery of this species.

<i>Polyura dolon</i> Species of butterfly

Polyura dolon, the stately nawab or stately rajah, is a butterfly found in India belonging to the rajahs and nawabs group, that is, the Charaxinae group of the brush-footed butterflies family.

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

The rajah and pasha butterflies, also known as emperors in Africa and Australia, make up the huge type genus of the brush-footed butterfly subfamily Charaxinae, or leafwing butterflies. They belong to the tribe Charaxini, which also includes the nawab butterflies (Polyura). Charaxes are tropical Old World butterflies, with by far the highest diversity in sub-Saharan Africa, a smaller number from South Asia to Melanesia and Australia, and a single species in Europe. They are generally strong flyers and very popular among butterfly collectors.

<i>Charaxes brutus</i> Species of butterfly

Charaxes brutus, the white-barred emperor or white-barred Charaxes, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Africa.

<i>Charaxes druceanus</i> Species of butterfly

Charaxes druceanus, the silver-barred emperor or silver-barred charaxes, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found throughout tropical Africa.

<i>Charaxes legeri</i> Species of butterfly

Charaxes legeri, the St. Leger's charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in southern Burkina Faso, northern Benin, northern Nigeria and southern Niger. The habitat consists of woodland savanna at altitudes between 600 and 1,700 meters.

<i>Charaxes hansali</i> Species of butterfly

Charaxes hansali, the cream-banded charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Oman.

<i>Charaxes antiquus</i> Species of butterfly

Charaxes antiquus is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found on the island of São Tomé. The habitat consists of forests and woodland. The species was named by James John Joicey and George Talbot in 1926.

Charaxes dowsetti is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found on the Nyika Plateau in Malawi. The habitat consists of montane forests at altitudes above 2,200 meters.

Charaxes lucyae is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Tanzania.

Charaxes musakensis is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Cameroon. The habitat consists of montane forests at altitudes above 1,300 meters.

Charaxes richelmanni is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Tanzania. The habitat consists of lowland evergreen forests.

<i>Charaxes imperialis</i> Species of butterfly

Charaxes imperialis, the imperial blue charaxes, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Benin, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.

<i>Polyura narcaeus</i> Species of butterfly

Polyura narcaeus, the China nawab, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It was described by William Chapman Hewitson in 1854. It is found in the Palearctic and Indomalayan realms.

<i>Polyura caphontis</i> Species of butterfly

Charaxes (Polyura) caphontis is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It was described by William Chapman Hewitson in 1863. It is endemic to Fiji.

<i>Polyura clitarchus</i> Species of butterfly

Charaxes (Polyura) clitarchus is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It was described by William Chapman Hewitson in 1874. It is endemic to New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands.

References

  1. 1 2 Billberg, Gustaf Johan (1820). Enumeratio insectorum in Museo. p. 79. doi:10.5962/bhl.title.49763.
  2. 1 2 Smiles, Robert L. (1982). "The taxonomy and phylogeny of the genus Polyura Billberg (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae)". Bull. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.) Entomol. 44 (3): 115–237.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Aduse-Poku, Kwaku; Vingerhoedt, Eric; Wahlberg, Niklas (2009). "Out-of-Africa again: A phylogenetic hypothesis of the genus Charaxes (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) based on five gene regions". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 53 (2): 463–478. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.06.021. PMID   19580878.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Toussaint, Emmanuel F.A.; Morinière, Jérôme; Müller, Chris J.; Kunte, Krushnamegh; Turlin, Bernard; Hausmann, Axel; Balke, Michael (2015). "Comparative molecular species delimitation in the charismatic Nawab butterflies (Nymphalidae, Charaxinae, Polyura)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 91: 194–209. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2015.05.015. PMID   26021440.
  5. 1 2 Toussaint, Emmanuel F.A.; Morinière, Jérôme; Lam, Athena; Balke, Michael (2016). "New Insights into the Systematics of the GenusPolyura Billberg, 1820 (Nymphalidae, Charaxinae) with an Emphasis on theP. Athamas Group". Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society. 70 (2): 145–152. doi:10.18473/lepi.70i2.a10. S2CID   54091020.
  6. 1 2 Toussaint, Emmanuel F.A.; Morinière, Jérôme; Lam, Athena; Turlin, Bernard; Fls, Michael Balke (2016). "Bayesian Poisson tree processes and multispecies coalescent models shed new light on the diversification of Nawab butterflies in the Solomon Islands (Nymphalidae, Charaxinae, Polyura)". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 178 (2): 241–256. doi: 10.1111/zoj.12413 .