Thereus
Thereus | |
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Imago of type species T. lausus from below | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Lycaenidae |
Subfamily: | Theclinae |
Tribe: | Eumaeini |
Genus: | Thereus Hübner, [1819] |
Type species | |
Papilio lausus Cramer, [1779] | |
Diversity | |
Some 20 described species, but see text | |
Synonyms | |
Several, see text |
Thereus is a genus of gossamer-winged butterflies (family Lycaenidae). Among these, it belongs belong to the tribe Eumaeini of the subfamily Theclinae. These small butterflies occur essentially all over the Neotropics.[1]
Classification
Though this genus was first proposed long ago, for much of the time Thereus was included in the "wastebin genus" Thecla. However, the two genera are not particularly close relatives among their subfamily. In recent times, it has been proposed to remove several species from Thereus to smaller or even monotypic genera. While this might be warranted in some cases, it is not followed here pending more thorough study.[1]
The junior synonyms of Thereus are thus:[1]
- Molus Hübner, [1819]
- Noreena K.Johnson, MacPherson & Ingraham, 1986
- Pedusa D'Abrera, 2001 (may be nomen nudum)
- Solanorum Johnson, 1992
- Timokla Johnson, Kruse & Kroenlein, 1997
Species
The following named species are placed in Thereus at present:[1]
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In addition, a number of as yet undescribed butterflies are suspected to belong here too:[1]
- Thereus sp. 'Amazonia'
- Thereus sp. 'Bahia'
- Thereus sp. 'Guatemala'
- Thereus sp. 'Ecuador 1'
- Thereus sp. 'Ecuador 2'
- Thereus sp. 'Panama 1'
- Thereus sp. 'Panama 2'
- ?Thereus sp. 'Panama 3' (tentatively placed here)
- Thereus sp. 'Peru'
Data related to Thereus at Wikispecies
Footnotes
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Thereus. |
- Savela, Markku (2011): Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms – Thereus. Version of December 24, 2011. Retrieved April 1, 2012.