Oct 26, 2009

The Nymphalidae family / La familia Nymphalidae

Anartia amathea (Subfamily/Subfamilia Nymphalinae)

Adelpha syma (Subfamily/Subfamilia Biblidinae)

Pteronymia sylvo (Subfamily/Subfamilia Ithomiinae)

Libytheana carinenta (Subfamily/Subfamilia Libytheinae)

Paryphthimoides zeredatha (Subfamily/Subfamilia Satyrinae)

Junonia genoveva hilaris (Subfamily/ Subfamilia Nymphalidae)

Doxocopa callianira (Subfamily/Subfamilia Apaturinae)

Caligo illioneus pampeiro (Subfamily/Subfamilia Morphinae)

Dynamine tithia (Subfamily/Subfamilia Bibilidinae)

Dynamine postverta postverta (Subfamily/Subfamilia Biblidinae)

Dynamine athemon athemaena (Subfamily/Subfamilia Biblidinae)

Biblis hyperia nectanabis (Subfamily/Subfamilia Biblidinae)

Marpesia petreus (Subfamily/Subfamilia Cyrestidinae)

Hamadryas epinome (Subfamily/Subfamilia Biblidinae)

Dryadula phaetusa
(Subfamily/Subfamilia Heliconiinae)

Danaus erippus (Subfamily/Subfamilia Danainae)

Euptoieta claudia hortensia (Subfamily/Subfamilia Heliconiinae)

Agraulis vanillae maculosa (Subfamily/Subfamilia Heliconiinae)

The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colorful wings flat when resting. They are also called brush-footed butterflies or four-footed butterflies. Many species are brightly colored and include popular species such as the emperor, admirals, and fritillaries. However, the underwings are in contrast often dull and in some species look remarkably like dead leaves, or are much paler, producing a cryptic effect that helps the butterfly disappear into its surroundings. The caterpillars are hairy or spiky with projections on the head, and the chrysalids have shiny spots. Antennae always with two grooves on the underside; club variable in shape. Throughout the family the front pair of legs in the male, and with three exceptions (Libythea, Pseudergolis and Calinaga) in the female also, is reduced in size and functionally impotent; in some the atrophy of the fore legs is considerable, for example, in Danainae and Satyrinae. In many of the forms of these subfamilies the fore legs are kept pressed against the underside of the thorax, and are in the male often very inconspicuous.
La familia Nymphalidae cuenta con 5,000 especies de mariposas que se distribuyen alrededor del mundo. Éstas son de porte mediano a grande. La mayoría de las especies poseen un par de patas delanteras reducidas y muchas mantienen sus alas coloridas en forma horizontal cuando descansan. Se las llama también mariposas de cuatro patas o patas cepillo. Muchas de éstas son muy llamativas e incluyen especies como la mariposa emperador, las admirales y las fritilarias. Sin embargo, los enveses de las alas son a menudo apagados y en muchas especies se asemejan a hojas muertas o son marcadamente pálidos, lo cual produce un efecto críptico que ayuda al individuo a desaparecer entre su entorno. Las larvas son peludas o espinosas con proyecciones en la cabeza, mientras que las crisálidas cuentan con manchas brillantes. Las antenas siempre tienen dos surcos en el lado posterior y extremos variables en cuanto a la forma. A través de toda la familia, el par frontal de patas en el macho y hembra (con tres excepciones: Libythea, Pseudergolis y Calinaga) es pequeño y funcionalmente impotente; siendo esta atrofia muy considerable como en el caso de la subfamilia Danainae y Satyrae. En muchas formas de dichas subfamilias tales patas se mantienen presionadas contra la parte inferior del tórax, siendo muy inconspiscuas en el caso de los machos.