UK Butterflies
Building a Community of Responsible Butterfly Enthusiasts in Britain & Ireland
Building a Community of Responsible Butterfly Enthusiasts in Britain & Ireland
| Family: | Riodinidae | Grote, 1895 |
This family is primarily a South American group where the number of species is vast, although there is some representation in tropical Asia and Africa and a single species, the Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina) in Europe. The striking metallic colours of many of the species in this family have resulted in this family being known as the "metalmarks". All species in this family are small or medium in size.
The family is closely related to the Lycaenidae (in which some classifications include it as a subfamily) but differs in some key respects. The first is that the male foreleg is greatly reduced and useless for walking (although it is perfectly normal, with claws, in the female).
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Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina) | Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina) |
The second is that a precostal vein is present in the hindwing. The Riodinidae are therefore intermediate between the Nymphalidae that precedes it and the Lycaenidae that follows it.
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Duke of Burgundy (Hamearis lucina) |
Eggs are spherical and relatively small. Larvae are similar to those of the Lycaenidae, but lack a honey gland. Pupae are stout and are typically attached to vegetation by a silken girdle and the cremaster.
This family is represented by the following subfamilies:
This family is represented by the species shown below.
