my-server
← Wiki

Bebearia

Bebearia is a genus of brush-footed butterflies. The species are confined to the Afrotropical realm, mainly in the Guinean Forests of West Africa and the Congolian forests.

The genus Bebearia closely resembles the allied genus Euphaedra in appearance. The females, especially, are very similar on their uppersides. The undersides of Bebearia however are invariably cryptically patterned and often resemble dead leaves. In Euphaedra the underside is usually yellow with black spots and pink basal patches. Euphaedra have orange palpi while those of Bebearia are brown. In Euphaedra the forewing apex is always rounded and not falcate (sickle shaped). As in Euphaedra the upper side of the wing of Bebearia is usually coloured in metallic blue or green, bright red or orange, or it is dark brownish. Some species are nearly black with blue reflections.The underside of Bebearia can have a metallic sheen. The member species are diverse.

Taxonomy

The type species of the genus is Euryphene iturina Karsch.

Species groups

Defining species groups is a convenient way of subdividing well-defined genera with a large number of recognized species. Bebearia species are so arranged in assemblages called "species groups" (not superspecies, but an informal phenetic arrangement). These may or may not be clades. As molecular phylogenetic studies continue, lineages distinct enough to warrant some formal degree of recognition become evident and new groupings are suggested, but consistent ranking remains a problem.

Species

References

External links