Actinote
Andrew V. Z. Brower
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close boxIntroduction
Actinote as currently circumscribed is an acraeine genus that has a nearly pantropical distribution, with about 1/4 of its species in South America, one (A. issoria) in Australia and New Guinea, and the rest in Africa and Madagascar. In all regions, many species are involved in Müllerian mimicry complexes.
Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships
The tree shown is a composite based upon the morphological phylogenetic analysis of Pierre (1987) and the molecular analysis by Silva-Brandão et al. (2008). The relationships among the neotropical taxa are based on the latter, while the deeper structure of the tree and African species groups are based on the former. Note that Silva-Brandão et al. found neotropical Actinote to be monophyletic as sister group to a polyphyletic grade of members of the genera Altinote and Abananote. There is thus some rather severe nomenclatorial chaos implied, if one wishes genera to be monophyletic groups. The type of the genus Actinote is Papilio thalia L., a neotropical species. African "Actinote" could be called Telchinia (type species Papilo serena Fabr.) if Silva-Brandão et al.'s hypothesis that they are a monophyletic group holds up with increased sampling of African species.
(The neotropical clade is nested high in the tree of African species groups in Pierre's (1987) scheme shown here).References
Ackery PR, Smith CR, and Vane-Wright RI eds. 1995. Carcasson's African butterflies. Canberra: CSIRO.
Lamas G ed. 2004. Checklist: Part 4A Hesperioidea - Papiionoidea. Gainesville: Scientific Publishers/Association of Tropical Lepidoptera.
Larsen, T. B. 1991 Butterflies of Kenya and their natual history. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Larsen, T. B. 2005 Butterflies of West Africa. Stenstrup, Denmark: Apollo Books.
Parsons M. 1999. The butterflies of Papua New Guinea: their systematics and biology. Academic Press, San Diego.
Lees DC, Kremen C, and Raharitsimba T. 2003. Classification, diversity and endemism ofthe butterflies (Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea): a revised species checklist. In: Goodman SM and Benstead JP, eds. The Natural History of Madagascar. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. 762-793.
Pierre, J. 1987 Systématique cladistique chez les Acraea (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae). Annls. Soc. Ent. Fr. (N. S.) 23, 11-27.
Silva-Brandao, K. L., Wahlberg, N., Francini, R. B., Azeredo-Espin, A. M. L., Brown, K. S. J., Paluch, M., Lees, D. C. & Freitas, A. V. L. 2008 Phylogenetic relationships of butterflies of the tribe Acraeini (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Heliconiinae) and the evolution of host plant use. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 46, 515-531.
Information on the Internet
- Le site des Acraea de Dominique Bernaud. This website, compiled by Dominique Bernaud, contains an enormous amount of taxonomic, biogeographical and life-history information, as well as original descriptions and photos of African Acraeini.
Title Illustrations
| Scientific Name | Actinote melampeplos |
|---|---|
| Location | Near Mindo, Ecuador |
| Specimen Condition | Live Specimen |
| Source | Melampeplos Actinote |
| Source Collection | Neotropical Butterflies |
| Copyright | © 2004 Kim Garwood |
| Scientific Name | Actinote thalia |
|---|---|
| Location | Conseicao Sao Paulo, Brazil |
| Specimen Condition | Live Specimen |
| Source | Thalia Actinote |
| Source Collection | Neotropical Butterflies |
| Copyright | © 2004 Rick Simpson |
| Scientific Name | Actinote bonasia |
|---|---|
| Location | Nigeria: Port Harcourt |
| Specimen Condition | Live Specimen |
| Identified By | Dirk Motshagen |
| Life Cycle Stage | adult |
| View | dorsal |
| Source Collection | Nigeria butterflies |
| Copyright | © 2009 Dirk Motshagen |
| Scientific Name | Actinote anteas |
|---|---|
| Location | Belize |
| Specimen Condition | Live Specimen |
| Source | Anteas Actinote |
| Source Collection | Neotropical Butterflies |
| Copyright | © 2004 BF |
About This Page
Middle Tennessee State University, Murfreesboro, Tennessee, USA
Correspondence regarding this page should be directed to Andrew V. Z. Brower at
Page copyright © 2006
Page: Tree of Life
Actinote .
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- First online 04 November 2006
- Content changed 23 July 2008
Citing this page:
Brower, Andrew V. Z. 2008. Actinote . Version 23 July 2008 (under construction). http://tolweb.org/Actinote/70399/2008.07.23 in The Tree of Life Web Project, http://tolweb.org/
