Libythea celtis

Abstract: The mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) gene and the nuclear elongation factor 1a (EF-1a) gene were sequenced from 29 species of Nymphalidae (Nymphalidae, Lepidoptera). Phylogenetic trees were constructed based on the sequences determined from the 29 species and sequences of other 36 species deposited in GenBank using the neighbor-joining (NJ), maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian methods with Libythea celtis (Libytheinae) as the outgroup. Our phylogenetic trees indicated four major clades. Clade A includes three subfamilies: Apaturinae, Nymphalinae, and Limenitidinae, excluding the tribe Limenitidini; Clade B includes the subfamilies Heliconiinae and the tribe Limenitidini; Clade C includes Satyrinae, Calinaginae, Charaxinae and Morphinae; and Clade D includes subfamily Danainae. Our study suggested that the tribes Pseudergolini, Biblidini, Limenitidini and Cyrestidini should be considered as subfamilies and confirmed the interspecific relationships within the subfamily Pseudergolinae, namely Amnosia +( Pseudergolis +( Stibochiona + Dichorragia)). We then mapped three morphological characters (spot of anal angle, eyespots, and process from outer margin of hind wing) onto the phylogenetic tree constructed by ML analysis using the combined sequence data. Based on this the evolutionary patterns of these morphological characters were identified, they indicated that the three characters evolved repeatedly in the family Nymphalidae.

Abstract: Libytheinae is a morphologically unusual group of butterflies whose external anatomy has never been described in detail. The subfamily is considered basal within the diverse family Nymphalidae, and libytheines retain many plesiomorphic features, such as a functional female foreleg and smooth larva. In this paper, we describe and illustrate the adult morphology of Libythea celtis Laicharting, make comparisons to other nymphalid subfamilies, and homologize terms whenever possible. We describe major sclerites, sulci, and the presence of cranial and lateral pits on the tibia, the latter which appear to be previously unreported from the lepidopteran literature. When present, sexual dimorphism and geographic variation are noted. It is hoped that the present paper will help stabilize inconsistencies in morphological terms in nymphalid butterflies.

Abstract: Extant and fossil genera and species in the Libytheinae (Nymphalidae) are revised and reviewed. The Libytheinae includes two genera: Libythea Fabricius and Libytheana Michener. Fifteen species and an additional 24 subspecies are recognized and 41 names are synonymized. Species recognized are: Libythea celtis (Laicharting), L. collenettei Riley, L. cinyras Trimen revised status, L. geoffroyi Godart, L. labdaca Westwood, L. laius Trimen, L. lepita Moore, L. myrrha Godart, L. narina Godart, Libytheana carinenta (Cramer), L. florissanti (Scudder), L. fulvescens (Lathy), L. motya (Hubner), L. terena (Godart), and L. vagabunda (Scudder). New synonymies that are established for Libythea celtis (Laicharting [1782]) include: Libythea (Libythea) celtis f. obscura Milliere 1879 syn. nov.; Libythea celtis f. denudata Dannehl 1925 syn. nov.; Libythea celtis f. separata Dannehl 1925 syn. nov.; Libythea celtis livida Saggara 1926 syn. nov.; Libythea (Libythea) celtis f. albonervulata Verity 1950 syn. nov.; Libythea (Libythea) celtis f. latefulva Verity 1950 syn. nov.; Libythea (Libythea) celtis f. obscurenervulata Verity 1950 syn. nov.; Libythea (Libythea) celtis f. pallida Verity 1950 syn. nov.; Libythea (Libythea) celtis f. pygmaea Verity 1950 syn. nov.; Libythea (Libythea) celtis f. rubescens Verity 1950 syn. nov.; Libythea (Libythea) celtis f. subochracea Verity 1950 syn. nov.; Libythea (Libythea) celtis f. violacea Verity 1950 syn. nov.; and Libythea celtis platooni Korb 2005 syn. nov. Synonyms of Libythea geoffroyi geoffroyi Godart 1822 include: Libythea antipoda Boisduval, 1859 syn. nov.; Libythea orientalis Godman and Salvin, 1888 syn. nov.; Libythea hauxwelli Moore, 1901 syn. nov.; Libythea (Libythea) geoffroy var. sumbensis Pagenstecher, 1901 syn. nov.; Libythea geoffroy deminuta Fruhstorfer, 1909 syn. nov.; and Libythea geoffroy maenia Fruhstorfer, 1909 syn. nov. Libythea batchiana Wallace 1869 syn. nov. is a synonym of Libythea geoffroyi ceramensis Wallace 1869. Synonyms of Libythea geoffroyi philippina Staudinger 1889 include: Libythea geoffroyi var. celebensis Staudinger 1889 syn. nov.; and Libythea geoffroyi bardas Fruhstorfer 1914 syn. nov. Libythea labdaca subintegra Aurivillius 1921 syn. nov. is a synonym of Libythea labdaca ancoata Grose-Smith 1891. Synonyms of Libythea lepita lepita Moore [1858] include: Libythea celtis celtoides Fruhstorfer 1909 syn. nov.; Libythea celtis chinensis Fruhstorfer 1909 syn. nov.; and Libythea celtis sophene Fruhstorfer 1914 syn. nov. Libythea celtis yayeyamana Fujioka, 1975 syn. nov. is a synonym of Libythea lepita amamiana Shirozu 1956. Libythea myrrha myrrhina Fruhstorfer 1909 syn. nov. and Libythea myrrha yawa Fruhstorfer 1914 syn. nov. are synonyms of Libythea myrrha myrrha Godart 1819. Libythea myrrha borneensis Fruhstorfer 1914 syn. nov. and Libythea myrrha iwanagai Hayashi 1976 syn. nov. are synonyms of Libythea myrrha hecura Fruhstorfer 1914. Libythea myrrha carma Fruhstorfer 1914 syn. nov. is a synonym of Libythea myrrha rama Moore 1872. Libythea myrrha thira Fruhstorfer 1914 syn. nov. is a synonym of Libythea myrrha sanguinalis Fruhstorfer 1898. Subspecies of L. narina Godart 1819 have been synonymized with the nominal species as there are no diagnostic characters that can be used to separate subspecies. Synonyms of Libythea narina include: Libythea rohini Marshall 1880 syn. nov. Libythea luzonica Moore 1901 syn. nov. Libythea narina canuleia Fruhstorfer, 1909 syn. nov.; Libythea narina neratia Fruhstorfer 1909 syn. nov.; Libythea narina sangha Fruhstorfer 1914 syn. nov.; Libythea narina sumbawana Fruhstorfer 1914 syn. nov. The status of the North American taxon has been confused in the literature, and it is here treated as Libytheana carinenta bachmanii (Kirtland 1851) revised status. The fossil Oligodonta florissantensis Brown, 1976 (Pieridae) is a new synonym of Libytheana florissanti (Scudder 1892). Keys to genera, species, and subspecies are included along with a discussion of the taxonomic history of the subfamily. Diagnostic characters are also presented along with brief comments on the distribution and biology of each species.

Abstract: This research has been carried out in 2005, in Devrek. For collection of plants and larvae from the field and for breeding larva in laboratory, identification of insects and preserving technique modern methods were used. In our investigations in spring 2005, interestingly we found Libythea celtis (Laicharting, 1782)’s larvae were feeding on foliage of Alnus glutinosa subsp. glutinosa although Celtis sp. and essentially Celtis australis are foodplant of this butterfly.