Adelpha Explained

Adelpha is a genus of brush-footed butterflies found from the southern United States and Mexico to South America. They are commonly known as sisters, due to the white markings on their wings, which resemble a nun's habit.^[1] This genus is sometimes included with the admiral butterflies (Limenitis).

Species

Listed alphabetically within species group:^{[2] [3]}

The alala species group:

• Adelpha alala (Hewitson, 1847) – Alala sister
• Adelpha aricia (Hewitson, 1847)
• Adelpha corcyra (Hewitson, 1847)
• Adelpha donysa (Hewitson, 1847) – montane sister
• Adelpha pithys (Bates, 1864) – pithys sister
• Adelpha tracta (Butler, 1872) – tracta sister

The capucinus species group:

• Adelpha barnesia Schaus, 1902 – Barnes' sister
• Adelpha capucinus (Walch, 1775) – capycinus sister
• Adelpha epizygis Fruhstorfer, 1915
• Adelpha fabricia Fruhstorfer, 1913

The cocala species group:

• Adelpha argentea Willmott & Hall, 1995
• Adelpha boreas (Butler, 1866) – gaudy sister
• Adelpha cocala (Cramer, 1779) – cocala sister, orange-washed sister
• Adelpha coryneta (Hewitson, 1874)
• Adelpha erymanthis Godman & Salvin, 1884 – Godman's sister
• Adelpha felderi (Boisduval, 1870) – rusty sister, Felder's sister
• Adelpha irmina (Doubleday, 1848) – Irmina sister
• Adelpha jordani (Fruhstorfer, 1913) – Jordan's sister
• Adelpha justina (C. & R. Felder, 1861)
• Adelpha lamasi Willmott & Hall, 1999
• Adelpha leucophthalma (Latreille, 1809) – Veracruz sister
• Adelpha levona Steinhauser & Miller, 1977
• Adelpha milleri Beutelspacher, 1976 – cloistered sister
• Adelpha olynthia (C. & R. Felder, 1867) – Olynthia sister
• Adelpha rothschildi Fruhstorfer, 1913
• Adelpha salus Hall, 1935 – lost sister
• Adelpha saundersii (Hewitson, 1867) – Saunder's sister
• Adelpha shuara Willmott & Hall, 1995
• Adelpha sichaeus (Butler, 1866)
• Adelpha stilesiana DeVries & Chacón, 1982
• Adelpha zina (Hewitson, 1867) – Zina sister

The iphiclus species group:

• Adelpha abyla (Hewitson, 1850) – Jamaican sister
• Adelpha basiloides (Bates, 1865) – spot-celled sister
• Adelpha calliphane Fruhstorfer, 1915
• Adelpha falcipennis Fruhstorfer, 1915
• Adelpha gavina Fruhstorfer, 1915
• Adelpha iphicleola (Bates, 1864) – confusing sister
• Adelpha iphiclus (Linnaeus, 1758) – pointed sister
• Adelpha mythra (Godart, 1824) – Mythra sister
• Adelpha plesaure Hübner, 1823 – pleasure sister
• Adelpha poltius Hall, 1938
• Adelpha thessalia (C. & R. Felder, 1867) – Thessalia sister
• Adelpha thoasa (Hewitson, 1850) – thoasa sister

The phylaca species group:

• Adelpha erotia (Hewitson, 1847) – stitched sister
• Adelpha lycorias (Godart, 1824) – rayed sister
• Adelpha mesentina (Cramer, 1777) – mesentina sister
• Adelpha phylaca (Bates, 1866) – Cecropia sister
• Adelpha messana (C. & R. Felder, 1867) – Messana or Thesprotia sister

The serpa species group:

• Adelpha bredowii Geyer, 1837 – Bredow's sister
• Adelpha californica (Butler, 1865) – California sister
• Adelpha diocles Godman & Salvin, 1878 – tailed sister
• Adelpha eulalia E. Doubleday, 1848) – Arizona sister
• Adelpha herbita Weymer, 1907
• Adelpha hyas (Doyère, 1840)
• Adelpha nea (Hewitson, 1847) – Nea sister
• Adelpha paraena (Bates, 1865) – Massilia sister, Bates' sister
• Adelpha paroeca (Bates, 1864) – eyed sister
• Adelpha radiata Fruhstorfer, 1915 – striated sister
• Adelpha seriphia (C. & R. Felder, 1867) – dentate sister
• Adelpha serpa (Boisduval, 1836) – celerio sister, celadon sister
• Adelpha zea (Hewitson, 1850) – Zea sister

Ungrouped:

• Adelpha abia (Hewitson, 1850)
• Adelpha amazona Austin & Jasinski, 1999
• Adelpha atlantica Willmott, 2003
• Adelpha attica (C. & R. Felder, 1867) – Attica sister
• Adelpha boeotia (C. & R. Felder, 1867) – Felder's sister
• Adelpha cytherea (Linnaeus, 1758) – smooth-banded sister
• Adelpha demialba (Butler, 1872) – white-spotted sister
• Adelpha delinita Fruhstorfer, 1913 – Fruhstorfer's Sister or delineated sister
• Adelpha diazi Beutelspacher, 1975 – Diaz's sister
• Adelpha ethelda (Hewitson, 1867) – silver-banded sister
• Adelpha epione (Godart, 1824) – white-barred sister
• Adelpha fessonia (Hewitson, 1847) – Mexican sister, band-celled sister
• Adelpha gelania (Godart, 1824) – Antillean sister
• Adelpha heraclea (C. & R. Felder, 1867) – Heraclea sister
• Adelpha hesterbergi Willmott & Hall, 1999
• Adelpha leuceria (Druce, 1874) – orange-striped sister
• Adelpha leucerioides Beutelspacher, 1975 – Veracruz sister
• Adelpha malea (C. & R. Felder, 1861) – Venezuelan sister
• Adelpha melona (Hewitson, 1847) – Mellona sister
• Adelpha naxia (C. & R. Felder, 1867) – Naxia sister, three-part sister
• Adelpha pollina Fruhstorfer, 1915
• Adelpha salmoneus (Butler, 1866) – golden-banded sister
• Adelpha syma (Godart, 1824) – Syma sister
• Adelpha viola Fruhstorfer, 1913

See also

• Doxocopa - A genus of butterflies whose females closely resemble Adelpha species

External links

• images representing Adelpha at Consortium for the Barcode of Life

Notes and References

1. Book: National Audubon Society. Robert Michael Pyle. The Audubon Society field guide to North American butterflies. registration. Knopf. 1981. 9780394519142.
2. http://ftp.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/nymphalidae/limenitidinae/adelpha/ "Adelpha Hübner, [1819]"] at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
3. Jeffrey Glassberg (2007). A Swift Guide to the Butterflies of Mexico and Central America. Sunstreak Books Inc. . pp.97-101.