Melanargia
| Melanargia | |
|---|---|
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| Melanargia galathea, dorsal view | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Subfamily: | Satyrinae |
| Tribe: | Satyrini |
| Subtribe: |
Melanargiina Wheeler, 1903 |
| Genus: |
Melanargia Johann Wilhelm Meigen, 1828 |
| Synonyms | |
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Melanargia is a genus of butterflies of the subfamily Satyrinae tribe Satyrini subtribe Melanargiina belonging to the family Nymphalidae.
This genus, described by Johann Wilhelm Meigen in 1828, is the only genus in the subtribe Melanargiina, Wheeler, 1903. Once the genus Melanargia was classified as belonging to Satyridae.
The adults of this genus of satyrines are easily distinguished by their white wings with black veins and markings (hence the common name ‘marbled whites’). A peculiar phenotypic distinctiveness is also a dilated vein 12 at the base of the forewing.
Butterflies of genus Melanargia are widespread from Europe and north Africa to Japan.
The investigations on genetic divergence and phylogenetic relationships among Melanargia species have recognized three subgenera (Melanargia, Argeformia, and Halimede) and reclassified the genus in 20 Species and relevant Subspecies as follows
Subgenus Melanargia, Meigen, 1829
Subgenus Argeformia Verity, 1953
Subgenus Halimede (Oberth¨ur & Houlbert, 1922)
b. Melanargia meridionalis ssp. tapaishanensis Wagener, 1961 stat. rev.
Melanargia galathea, lateral view
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