Hypolimnas is a genus of tropical brush-footed butterflies commonly known as eggflies or diadems. The genus contains approximately 23 species, most of which are found in Africa, Asia, and Oceania. One species, the Danaid eggfly (H. misippus), is noted for its exceptionally wide distribution across five continents; it is the only Hypolimnas species found in the Americas.
Eggflies are known for their marked sexual dimorphism and Batesian mimicry of poisonous milkweed butterflies (Danainae). For example, the Danaid eggfly mimics Danaus chrysippus while the great eggfly (H. bolina) mimics the Australian crow (Euploea core). In each case, the eggfly mimics the danainid's markings, thus adopting the latter's distasteful reputation to predators without being poisonous itself.
Species Listed alphabetically:"Hypolimnas Hübner, " at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms. Hypolimnas alimena (Linnaeus, 1758) – blue-banded eggfly Hypolimnas anomala (Wallace, 1869) – Malayan eggfly Hypolimnas antevorta (Distant, 1880) Hypolimnas anthedon (Doubleday, 1845) – variable eggfly or variable diadem Hypolimnas antilope (Cramer, ) – spotted crow eggfly Hypolimnas aubergeri Hecq, 1987 – Côte d'Ivoire eggfly Hypolimnas aurifascia Mengel, 1903 Hypolimnas bartelotti Grose-Smith, 1890 Hypolimnas bolina (Linnaeus, 1758) – common eggfly or great eggfly Hypolimnas chapmani (Hewitson, 1873) – Chapman's eggfly Hypolimnas deceptor (Trimen, 1873) – deceptive eggfly Hypolimnas deois Hewitson, 1858 Hypolimnas dexithea (Hewitson, 1863) – Madagascar diadem Hypolimnas dinarcha (Hewitson, 1865) – large variable diadem or large variable eggfly Hypolimnas diomea Hewitson, 1861 Hypolimnas dimona Fruhstorfer, 1912 Hypolimnas euploeoides Rothschild, 1915 Hypolimnas fraterna Wallace, 1869 Hypolimnas inopinata Waterhouse, 1920 Hypolimnas macarthuri Neidhoefer, 1972 Hypolimnas mechowi (Dewitz, 1884) Hypolimnas misippus (Linnaeus, 1764) – mimic, Danaid eggfly, or diadem Hypolimnas monteironis (Druce, 1874) – black-tipped diadem or scarce blue diadem Hypolimnas octocula Butler, 1869 – eight-spot diadem Hypolimnas pandarus (Linnaeus, 1758) Hypolimnas pithoeca Kirsch, 1877 Hypolimnas salmacis (Druce, 1773) – blue diadem Hypolimnas saundersii (Hewitson, 1869) Hypolimnas usambara (Ward, 1872) – red spot diadem or Usambara diadem
References
Lewis, H. L. (1974). Butterflies of the World. Miller, L. D., and Miller, J. Y. (2004). The Butterfly Handbook, pp. 134–135. Barron's Educational Series, Inc.; Hauppauge, New York. Wynter-Blyth, M. A. (1957). Butterflies of the Indian Region. (1982 Reprint) Seitz, A. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 42 et seq.
External links
Images representing Hypolimnas at Consortium for the Barcode of Life