Pycnophallium

Pycnophallium
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Lycaenidae
Genus: Pycnophallium

Pycnophallium is a genus-level name in the butterfly family Lycaenidae. The genus name was erected by the Dutch Lepidopterist Toxopeus in 1929. He included two Oriental species under this name: roxus Godart and elna Hewitson. These species had previously been treated as species in the genera Lycaena or Castalius until Fruhstorfer erected Caleta in 1922. Although Caleta in the wide sense has not been fully revised since Fruhstorfer erected it, Hirowatari, 1992 , made an authoritative classification of Oriental Polyommatine genera. Hirowatari did not recognise Pycnophallium as a valid genus, but retained 9 species, including roxus and elna in Caleta.

For systematic information on the nine species included in Caleta by Hirowatari, see Wikispecies.