Brush-footed Butterflies
family of infraorder “Butterflies and Moths“
1 family, 4 species
Summary: The article discusses the nomenclature, classification, and morphology of the Nymphalidae family, also known as four-footed or brush-footed butterflies. The author mentions that the attribution of the family to Rafinesque has been widely accepted. The butterflies in this family have reduced forelegs and hairy or spiky caterpillars with projections on their heads. The use of only four legs in these butterflies is a notable trait, and researchers suggest that the forelegs may be used for signaling and communication.
Hierarchy
species of family “Brush-footed Butterflies“
1 species
species of family “Brush-footed Butterflies“
1 species
Nomenclature#
Rafinesque introduced the name Nymphalia as a subfamily name in diurnal Lepidoptera. Rafinesque did not include Nymphalis among the listed genera, but Nymphalis was unequivocally implied in the formation of the name (Code Article 11.7.1.1). The attribution of the Nymphalidae to Rafinesque has now been widely adopted.
Classification#
In the adult butterflies, the first pair of legs is small or reduced, giving the family the other names of four-footed or brush-footed butterflies. The caterpillars are hairy or spiky with projections on the head, and the chrysalids have shiny spots. The forewings have the submedial vein (vein 1) unbranched and in one subfamily forked near the base; the medial vein has three branches, veins 2, 3, and 4; veins 5 and 6 arise from the points of junction of the discocellulars; the subcostal vein and its continuation beyond the apex of cell, vein 7, has never more than four branches, veins 8–11; 8 and 9 always arise from vein 7, 10, and 11 sometimes from vein 7 but more often free, i.e., given off by the subcostal vein before apex of the cell.The hindwings have internal (1a) and precostal veins. The cell in both wings is closed or open, often closed in the fore, open in the hindwing. The dorsal margin of the hindwing is channelled to receive the abdomen in many of the forms.The antennae always have two grooves on the underside; the club is variable in shape. Throughout the family, the front pair of legs in the male, and with three exceptions (Libythea, Pseudergolis, and Calinaga) in the female also, is reduced in size and functionally impotent; in some, the atrophy of the forelegs is considerable, e.g., the Danainae and Satyrinae. In many of the forms of these subfamilies, the forelegs are kept pressed against the underside of the thorax, and are in the male often very inconspicuous.
Morphology#
The trait for which these butterflies are most known is the use of only four legs; the reason their forelegs have become vestigial is not yet completely clear. Some suggest the forelegs are used to amplify the sense of smell, because some species possess a brush-like set of soft hair called setae, which has led researchers to believe the forelegs are used to improve signaling and communication between the species, while standing in the other four. This ability proves useful in terms of reproduction and the overall health of the species, and it is the leading theory so far.
See also#
List of fritillaries (butterflies)
Further reading#
Glassberg, Jeffrey Butterflies through Binoculars, The West (2001) Guppy, Crispin S. and Shepard, Jon H. Butterflies of British Columbia (2001) James, David G. and Nunnallee, David Life Histories of Cascadia Butterflies (2011) Pelham, Jonathan Catalogue of the Butterflies of the United States and Canada (2008) Pyle, Robert Michael The Butterflies of Cascadia (2002)
External links#
Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility (2003): Family Nymphalidae Nymphalidae “Family Nymphalidae”. Insecta.pro. Peter Chew: Danaids and Browns - Family Nymphalidae, Brisbane butterflies web site (2005). Tree of Life Web Project: Nymphalidae Nymphalidae from all over the world
Summary: The article discusses the nomenclature, classification, and morphology of the Nymphalidae family, also known as four-footed or brush-footed butterflies. The author mentions that the attribution of the family to Rafinesque has been widely accepted. The butterflies in this family have reduced forelegs and hairy or spiky caterpillars with projections on their heads. The use of only four legs in these butterflies is a notable trait, and researchers suggest that the forelegs may be used for signaling and communication.
Ancestry Graph
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