Nymphalidae  

View Nymphalidae Tree

The pages under Nymphalidae on the Tree of Life Web site are being worked on at this moment. Relationships are shown for the most part down to the level of genera, but there is still very little other information on the pages. The pages will be continuously updated, so please check back often.

The diversity in form and life style has meant that the phylogenetic relationships of nymphalids have been contentious. This in turn has meant that there has been no consensus on the classification of the group, with some authors splitting the family into up to 9 different families! The lack of a good phylogenetic hypothesis has also meant that the evolutionary history of the group has been shrouded in mystery. Recent molecular and morphological work is bringing light to the question of how different species and groups of species are related to each other. The tree shown above is the best hypothesis of subfamilial relationships based on as yet unpublished combined analyses of morphological and molecular data.

 Many groups within Nymphalidae are currently under investigation, and we have endeavored to provide current hypotheses of relationships for each group. Where these are lacking, lists of taxa down to the species level are provided, in the hope that this will stimulate further research.

The family Nymphalidae is the most speciose family of butterflies with about 6000 described species so far. The family contains many well-known species, such as the monarch, the Painted Lady, the buckeye, the fritillaries, checkerspots and the electric blue morphos. Indeed, nymphalids are in many places the most visible members of the local butterfly fauna. Due to their visibility and ease of study in the field and lab, many species of nymphalids have been used as model systems to understand the complexity of life on this planet.

Nymphalidae (Brush-Footed Butterflies)
This is a large family of small- to large-sized butterflies. The front feet are atrophied and used as sensory organs, while the remaining feet are used for locomotion. Brush-Footed butterflies are important visitors of various wildflowers, although a few species prefer tree sap, fermenting fruit, or dung. There are several subfamilies; only the more important ones will be described. Libytheinae (Snout Butterfly): Only a single migratory species occurs in the area, Libytheana carinenta bachmanii (American Snout). The wing undersides are brown-patterned (resembling a dried-out leaf), while the uppersides have patches of orange and brown with white dots. Projecting from the head is an elongated labial palp, or "snout," giving this butterfly a distinctive appearance. The caterpillars feed on leaves of hackberry. Limenitidinae (Viceroy et al.): These are large butterflies that often mimic other species. The species Limenitis archippus (Viceroy), is orange with black stripes and white dots. It mimics the Monarch butterfly. The caterpillars feed on willow, wild cherry, and other plants. The species Limenitis arthemis astyanax (Red-Spotted Purple) is black with rows of blue and orange dots. It is a mimic of the Pipevine Swallowtail, but the hindwings have no tails. Further to the north occurs another variety of this butterfly, Limenitis arthemis arthemis (White Admiral). It is black with conspicuous bands of white, along with rows of blue or orange dots. The caterpillars of Limenitis arthemis feed on plants that are similar to those that are described for the Viceroy. Nymphalinae (Painted Ladies et al.): This is a large subfamily, including the Red Admiral, Painted Ladies, Buckeye, Mourning Cloak, Comma, Checkerspots, Baltimore, and others. Most of these butterflies have brown patterns on the wing undersides (looking like a dead leaf), and orange/black patterns on the oversides with white dots. They are medium- to large-sized butterflies. The species Nymphalis antiopa (Mourning Cloak), however, is black with a band of yellow and blue dots along the margins of the wings. The caterpillars of these butterflies feed on a wide variety of plants, such as nettles, elm, willow, hops, plantains, turtlehead, and members of the Aster family. Heliconiinae (Fritillaries): These butterflies are checkered orange and black with white dots. Their larvae are nocturnal and feed primarily on violets, although some species feed on passion vines in southern Illinois. Danainae (Monarch): In our area, this consists of a single species, Danaus plexippes (Monarch), which migrates northward from Mexico, not arriving in central or northern Illinois until mid-summer. It is a large orange butterfly with black stripes and white dots. The caterpillars feed on milkweeds. Satyrinae (Wood Nymphs, Pearly Eyes): These are brown woodland butterflies with black/white eyes. The wing undersides are a lighter shade of brown than the oversides. They occasionally stray from woodlands to nectar at wildflowers in moist meadows. The caterpillars feed on various woodland grasses and sedges.

All species of Nymphalidae are united by a single morphological character, the tricarinate ridges found on the adult butterfly's antennae. Most also exhibit extreme reduction in the size of the forelegs, particularly in males (this feature is also exhibited by Riodinidae).