Tarucus | |
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Rounded Pierrot (Tarucus nara) female on a Zizyphus species | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Lycaenidae |
Subfamily: | Polyommatinae |
Tribe: | Polyommatini |
Genus: | Tarucus Moore, 1881 |
Type species | |
Hesperia theophrastus Fabricius, 1793 | |
Diversity | |
About 20 species (but see text) |
Tarucus is a butterfly genus in the family Lycaenidae. They are commonly known as blue Pierrots or simply Pierrots. The latter name is often used for the closely related genus Castalius . The delimitation of Castalius versus Tarucus is not yet fully resolved, with some species, such as the dark Pierrot (T. ananda), having been moved between the two genera repeatedly. It may even be that they are eventually regarded as synonymous, and in that case the older name Castalius would supersede Tarucus by the Principle of Priority .
Several species formerly in Tarucus were moved to Leptotes , another closely related lineage (though not quite as close as Castalius).
The caterpillars of this genus typically feed on Zizyphus and are attended by ants.
The genus can be divided in two distinct groups. These are generally separated geographically, but some taxa (such as the black-spotted Pierrot, T. balkanicus nigra), though assigned to one group, occur in the range of the other. Consequently, it is not quite clear whether the groups are clades or merely convenient but paraphyletic assemblages: [1]
Afrotropical group:
South Asian group:
Others:
Caleta caleta, the angled Pierrot, is a species of blue butterfly found in Sulawesi.
Tarucus theophrastus, the common tiger blue, pointed Pierrot or African Pierrot, is a small butterfly found in the Old World tropics. It belongs to the lycaenids or blues family.
Tarucus ananda, the dark Pierrot, is a small butterfly found in India that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family. It was formerly placed in the genus Castalius, and with the delimitation of Castalius versus Tarucus being not fully resolved this may well be correct.
Tarucus balkanicus, the Balkan Pierrot or little tiger blue, is a small butterfly that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family. It is found in Mauritania, Niger, Sudan (Khartoum), Uganda, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, North Africa, the Balkans, western Asia, parts of central Asia and in India. The habitat consists of very arid savanna.
The Cheritrini are a small tribe of butterflies in the family Lycaenidae; they contain the imperials and allies. Their closest living relatives seem to be the Horagini; indeed, the genus Ahmetia was in the past often placed there.
Castalius is a butterfly genus in the family Lycaenidae. They are commonly known as Pierrots. This name is also often used for the very closely related genus Tarucus.
Leptotes is a butterfly genus in the family Lycaenidae. They are commonly known as zebra blues in reference to their zebra-striped undersides.
Phengaris is a genus of gossamer-winged butterflies in the subfamily Polyommatinae. Commonly, these butterflies are called large blues, which if referring to a particular species is P. arion, a species resident in Europe and some parts of Asia.
Theritas is a genus of gossamer-winged butterflies found in the Neotropics. Among the tribe Eumaeini of its subfamily Theclinae, it is usually placed in the group around the genus Atlides. In particular, it seems most closely related to Arcas.
Tuxentius is a butterfly genus in the family Lycaenidae. They are commonly known as pied Pierrots or pies. Contained in this genus are the African species formerly placed in Castalius, except the blue-eyed Pierrot which is separated in Zintha.
Zintha is a butterfly genus in the family Lycaenidae. It is monotypic, with the only species being Zintha hintza, the blue-eyed Pierrot, blue pied Pierrot or Hintza blue. The pied Pierrots proper are the closely related genus Tuxentius, however, and like Zintha they were formerly included in Castalius.
Tarucus rosacea, the Mediterranean Pierrot or Mediterranean tiger blue, is a butterfly in the family Lycaenidae. It is found in Mauritania, Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea, Burkina Faso, northern Ivory Coast, northern Ghana, northern Nigeria, Niger, northern Cameroon, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, northern Uganda, north-western Kenya, Somalia, Djibouti and Arabia. The habitat consists of Sudan savanna and the Sahel.
Tarucus waterstradti is a small butterfly found in the Indomalayan realm that belongs to the lycaenids or blues family. It was first described by Hamilton Herbert Druce in 1895.
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