Mesosemiini Explained

The Mesosemiini are one of the tribes of metalmark butterflies (family Riodinidae). They are the basalmost living tribe of the Riodininae, outside the main radiation together with the slightly more advanced Eurybiini.^[1]

Genera

As numerous Riodinidae genera have not yet been unequivocally assigned to a tribe, the genus list is preliminary.

In each subtribe, the genera are arranged in phylogenetic sequence, from the most plesiomorphic to the most apomorphic.^[2]

Subtribe Mesosemiina

• Eunogyra
• Teratophthalma
• Mesosemia
• Leucochimona
• Semomesia
• Mesophthalma
• Perophthalma

Subtribe Napaeina

• Hyphilaria
• Napaea - includes Cremna
• Voltinia - includes Eucorna
• Ionotus - formerly in Cremna
• Hermathena
• Ithomiola

Some notable Mesosemiini species from the Amazon^[3]

Mesosemiina

• Mesophthalma idotea Westwood, 1851
• Mesosemia anthaerice (Hewitson, 1859)
• Mesosemia asa
• Mesosemia calypso
• Mesosemia cippus
• Mesosemia coea (Hübner, 1819)
• Mesosemia eumene
• Mesosemia euphyne (Cramer, 1777)
• Mesosemia hyphaea
• Mesosemia ibycus (Hewitson, 1859)
  • Mesosemia ibycus parishi
• Mesosemia macella Hewitson, 1859
• Mesosemia magete
• Mesosemia melaene
• Mesosemia melese Hewitson, 1860
• Mesosemia melpia
• Mesosemia messeis
• Mesosemia methion
• Mesosemia metope
• Mesosemia minos
• Mesosemia philocles (Linnaeus, 1758)
• Mesosemia sifia
• Mesosemia steli (Hewitson, 1857)
• Mesosemia tenura
• Mesosemia thymetina
• Mesosemia ulrica
• Perophthalma tullius (Fabricius, 1782)

Napaeina

• Hyphilaria anophthalma
• Hyphilaria parthensis (Westwood, 1851)
• Hyphilaria thasus
• Napaea actoris (Cramer, 1776)
• Napaea eucharila (Bates, 1867)
• Napaea nepos

References

• (2007): Tree of Life Web Project - Mesosemiini Bates, 1859. Version of 2007-JUN-04. Retrieved 2008-JUL-07.
• (2007): Butterflies of Southern Amazonia. Neotropical Butterflies, Mission, Texas.
• (2008): Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms: Riodinidae. Version of 2008-FEB-23. Retrieved 2008-JUL-07.

Notes and References

1. Brower (2007); see also references in Savela (2008)
2. Brower (2007)
3. Garwood et al. (2007)