Kingdom Animalia Order Lepidoptera Scientific name Eudaminae Rank Subfamily | Phylum Arthropoda Superfamily Hesperioidea Higher classification Skipper | |
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Lower classifications Astraptes, Autochton, Astraptes fulgerator | ||
Proteides mercurius mercurial skipper eudaminae eudamini
The Eudaminae are a subfamily of skipper butterflies (family Hesperiidae). Their original type genus Eudamus is today a junior synonym of Urbanus. They are largely found in the Neotropics, with some extending into temperate North America and the puzzling Lobocla (which seems closest to Zestusa) occurring in East Asia.
Contents
They were formerly included in subfamily Pyrginae (spread-winged skippers) as a tribe Eudamini. This was mainly due to a perceived similarity with the pyrgine tribes Celaenorrhini and Pyrgini, where certain eudamine genera were indeed sometimes placed. But in reality, these genera seem to be quite closely related to Dyscophellus, and the two lineages of moderately advanced skippers are quite distinct.
Genera
The following 55 genera are placed in the Eudaminae in their delimitation as distinct subfamily. In phylogenetic sequence, they are:
Some genera are of unresolved relationships. Presumably, at least most of them are indeed Eudamini, but it cannot be ruled out that some belong elsewhere in the Hesperiidae: