Kallima

Oakleafs
Kallima inachus, showing the leaf-like appearance of the closed wings, which is typical of the genus.
Kallima paralekta, male showing the brilliant colors of the upper surfaces of the wings.
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Subfamily:	Nymphalinae
Genus:	Kallima Doubleday, 1849
Type species
Paphia paralekta Horsfield, [1829]
Species
See text

Kallima, known as the Oakleaf or Oak Leaf butterflies, is a genus of butterflies of the subfamily Nymphalinae in the family Nymphalidae. They are found in east, south and southeast Asia. Their common name is a reference to the rear surface of their wings, which is various shades of brown. When the wings are held closed, this results in a remarkable similarity to a dead leaf, further emphasized by their wing shape.

Taxonomy

This genus has traditionally also included a number of African species, but they are now usually placed in Kallimoides, Junonia (alternatively in Kamilla) and Mallika. The following species are currently members of the genus Kallima:^[1][2]

• Kallima albofasciata Moore, 1877 – Andaman Oakleaf
• Kallima alompra Moore, 1879 – Scarce Blue Oak Leaf
• Kallima buxtoni Moore, 1879
• Kallima horsfieldi (Kollar, 1844) – South Indian Blue Oakleaf
• Kallima inachus (Boisduval, 1846) – Orange Oakleaf, Indian Oakleaf, Dead Leaf
• Kallima limborgii Moore, 1879 – Peninsular Malaya Leaf Butterfly
• Kallima knyvetti de Nicéville, 1886 – Oakleaf
• Kallima paralekta (Horsfield, 1829) – Indian Leafwing
• Kallima philarchus (Westwood, 1848) – Ceylon Blue Oakleaf
• Kallima spiridiva Grose-Smith, 1885

Gallery

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  Kallima philarchus

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  Kallima paralekta female

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  Kallima horsfieldii

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  Kallima inachus

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  Kallima limborgi

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kallima.