Cymothoe is a genus of butterflies in the subfamily Limenitidinae, the admirals and relatives. They are known commonly as gliders.Van Velzen, R., et al. (2009). A new hidden species of the Cymothoe caenis-complex (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) from western Africa. Zootaxa 2197, 53-63. The genus is distributed in the Afrotropical realm, where species are found mainly in forest habitat. mainly in the Guinean Forests of West Africa and the Congolian forests.

Description These are medium-large to large-size (wingspan 40-70 millimetres) often quite colourful butterflies. Species in this genus exhibit a number of different colours and patterns. Among the most remarkable are a number of species where the upperside is solid coloured bright red or orange. Another group is largely pale yellow; others deep ochreous yellow and chocolate brown or pure white.

Biology The larvae feed on various shrubs and trees. Recorded host genera include Rawsonia and Kiggelaria (Achariaceae), Fernandoa and Kigelia (Bignoniaceae), Vismia (Hypericaceae), Dovyalis (Salicaceae) and Rinorea (Violaceae). The adults spend most of their time in the canopy but also seek out sunlit spots between the trees and feed on decaying vegetation on the forest floor.

Taxonomy These butterflies exhibit sexual dimorphism. Individuals can also be variable within a species, especially females. The females of C. caenis, for example, are so variable that authorities have described 20 different forms of the species based on their differences.

The sister genus is Harma. The type species of the genus is Papilio althea Cramer.

Species groups Defining species groups is a convenient way of subdividing well-defined genera with a large number of recognized species. Cymothoe species are so arranged in assemblages called "species groups" but (not superspecies, but an informal phenetic arrangement). These may or may not be clades. As molecular phylogenetic studies continue, lineages distinct enough to warrant some formal degree of recognition become evident and new groupings are suggested, but consistent ranking remains a problem.

Species There are about 75 known species.

Listed alphabetically within species groups:"Cymothoe Hübner, " at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms The oemilius species group Cymothoe oemilius (Doumet, 1859) The hyarbita species group Cymothoe hyarbita (Hewitson, ) Cymothoe reinholdi (Plötz, 1880) The lucasi species group Cymothoe egesta (Cramer, 1775) Cymothoe lucasii (Doumet, 1859) Cymothoe megaesta Staudinger, 1889 Cymothoe owassae Schultze, 1916 Unknown species group Cymothoe orphnina Karsch, 1894 The lurida species group Cymothoe colmanti Aurivillius, 1898 Cymothoe hypatha (Hewitson, 1866) Cymothoe lurida (Butler, 1871) Unknown species group Cymothoe cyclades (Ward, 1871) Cymothoe fontainei Overlaet, 1952 Cymothoe heliada (Hewitson, 1874) Cymothoe herminia Grose-Smith, 1887 Cymothoe hesiodina Schultze, 1908 Cymothoe hesiodotus Staudinger, 1889 Cymothoe howarthi Rydon, 1981 Cymothoe isiro Rydon, 1981 Cymothoe ochreata Grose-Smith, 1890 Cymothoe sassiana Schouteden, 1912 Cymothoe weymeri Suffert, 1904 The fumana species group Cymothoe fumana (Westwood, 1850) Cymothoe haynae Dewitz, 1886 Unknown species group Cymothoe althea (Cramer, ) Cymothoe amenides (Hewitson, 1874) Cymothoe capella (Ward, 1871) Cymothoe caprina Aurivillius, 1897 Cymothoe consanguis Aurivillius, 1896 Cymothoe coranus (Grose-Smith, 1889) Cymothoe eris Aurivillius, 1896 The caenis species group Cymothoe alcimeda (Godart, ) Cymothoe alticola Libert & Collins, 1997 Cymothoe caenis (Drury, ) Cymothoe jodutta (Westwood, 1850) Cymothoe teita van Someren, 1939 Unknown species group Cymothoe adela Staudinger, 1889 Cymothoe altisidora (Hewitson, 1869) Cymothoe amaniensis Rydon, 1980 Cymothoe angulifascia Aurivillius, 1897 Cymothoe aubergeri Plantrou, 1977 Cymothoe aurivillii Staudinger, 1899 Cymothoe beckeri (Herrich-Schäffer, ) Cymothoe collarti Overlaet, 1942 Cymothoe collinsi Rydon, 1980 Cymothoe cottrelli Rydon, 1980 Cymothoe dujardini Viette, 1971 Cymothoe indamora Hewitson, 1866 Cymothoe lambertoni Oberthür, 1923 Cymothoe magambae Rydon, 1980 Cymothoe melanjae Bethune-Baker, 1926 Cymothoe vumbui Bethune-Baker, 1926 Cymothoe zenkeri Richelmann, 1913 Cymothoe zombana Bethune-Baker, 1926 The sangaris species group Cymothoe anitorgis (Hewitson, 1874) Cymothoe aramis (Hewitson, 1865) Cymothoe coccinata (Hewitson, 1874) Cymothoe euthalioides Kirby, 1889 Cymothoe harmilla (Hewitson, 1874) Cymothoe hobarti Butler, 1900 Cymothoe magnus Joicey & Talbot, 1928 Cymothoe ogova (Plötz, 1880) Cymothoe sangaris (Godart, 1824) Unknown species group Cymothoe arcuata Overlaet, 1945 Cymothoe crocea Schultze, 1917 Cymothoe distincta Overlaet, 1944 Cymothoe excelsa Neustetter, 1912 Cymothoe haimodia (Grose-Smith, 1887) Cymothoe hartigi Belcastro, 1990 Cymothoe mabillei Overlaet, 1944 Cymothoe meridionalis Overlaet, 1944 Cymothoe preussi Staudinger, 1889 Cymothoe radialis Gaede, 1916 Cymothoe rebeli Neustetter, 1912 Cymothoe reginaeelisabethae Holland, 1920

References

External links

Seitz, A. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 13: Die Afrikanischen Tagfalter. Plate XIII 34 et seq. Cymothoe types Royal Museum for Central Africa images Images representing Cymothoe at EOL Images representing Cymothoe at Consortium for the Barcode of Life