| Satyrinae | |
|---|---|
| Speckled wood, Pararge aegeria | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| (unranked): | Rhopalocera |
| Superfamily: | Papilionoidea |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Subfamily: | Satyrinae |
| Tribes | |
|
Amathusiini |
|
| Diversity | |
| Over 280 genera Presently some 2,400 species |
|
| Synonyms | |
|
Satyridae |
|
Satyrinae, the satyrines or satyrids, commonly known as the Browns, is a subfamily of the Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies). They were formerly considered a distinct family, Satyridae. This group contains nearly half of the known diversity of brush-footed butterflies. It is estimated that the true number of the Satyrinae species may exceed 2,400.[2]
Contents |
They are generally weak fliers and often shun bright sunlight. The caterpillars feed chiefly on monocotyledonous plants such as palms, grasses and bamboos. The Morphinae are sometimes united with this group.
The taxonomy and systematics of the subfamily are under heavy revision. Much of the early pioneering work of L. D. Miller[3] has helped significantly by creating some sort of order. Dyndirus (Capronnier, 1874) is a satyrid incertae sedis. Other than this genus, according to the latest studies on the classification of Nymphalidae all satyrines have been assigned to one of the 6 tribes, at least preliminarily.[4] For detailed lists, see the tribe pages.