Euphaedra Limenitidinae . The species are confined to the Afrotropical realm mainly in the Guinean Forests of West Africa and the Congolian forests.
Euphaedra are large and showy butterflies. They share a common wing shape. On the basal areas of the upperside of the wings (especially the hindwings) are large suffused patches of metallic green, blue, orange or red. Most species also have a cream or orange subapical bar. The undersides are various shades of yellow or green and marked with black streaks and spots. Many species also have pink patches or streaks on the undersides of the hindwings.
The larvae are green, with yellow and pink markings and bear long and branched lateral spines.
Green species or forms are found in rain forest, yellow species or forms typically occur in drier and often more patchy forests. This is a camouflage adaptation to particular forest light patterns.
The larvae of most species feed on Sapindaceae others on Anacardiaceae , Rutaceae , Sterculiaceae , Annonaceae , Palmae.
Euphaedra is a species rich genus. In the most recent monograph Jacques Hecq listed 180 species later adding 12. In many species the intraspecific variation is as great or greater than the interspecific variation and the number of species may be smaller.
The species level taxonomy of these polymorphic and also hybridising butterflies is a challenge requiring a synthesis of studies of their evolutionary taxonomy , sympatry and molecular phylogenetics in combination with detailed morphological studies. This is so far only partly achieved.
The type species of the genus is Papilio cyparissa Cramer .
Defining species groups is a convenient way of subdividing well-defined genera with a large number of recognized species. Euphaedra 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.
Listed alphabetically within species groups:
Subgenus Proteuphaedra Hecq, 1976 Euphaedra adolfifrederici Schultze, 1920 Euphaedra aubergeri Hecq, 1977 Euphaedra aurivillii Niepelt, 1914 Euphaedra fucora Hecq, 1979 Euphaedra imperialis Lindemans, 1910 Euphaedra luperca Hewitson, 1864 Euphaedra lupercoides Rothschild, 1918 Euphaedra luteofasciata Hecq, 1979 Euphaedra marginalis Hecq, 1979 Euphaedra rubrocostata (Aurivillius, 1898) Euphaedra symphona Bethune-Baker, 1908 Subgenus Medoniana Hecq, 1976 Euphaedra medon (Linnaeus, 1763) Subgenus Gausapia Hecq, 1976 The gausapia species group Euphaedra calliope Hecq, 1981 Euphaedra clio Hecq, 1981 Euphaedra ducarmei Hecq, 1977 Euphaedra extensa Hecq, 1981 Euphaedra gausape (Butler, [1866]) Euphaedra hastiri Hecq, 1981 Euphaedra judith Weymer, 1892 Euphaedra landbecki Rothschild, 1918 Euphaedra melpomene Hecq, 1981 Euphaedra ombrophila Hecq, 1981 Euphaedra plantroui Hecq, 1981 The zaddachi species group Euphaedra athena Hecq & Joly, 2003 Euphaedra barnsi Hecq, 1983 Euphaedra christyi Sharpe, 1904 Euphaedra erici Hecq, 1987 Euphaedra mariaechristinae Hecq & Joly, 2003 Euphaedra mbamou Hecq, 1987 Euphaedra morini Hecq, 1983 Euphaedra pallas Hecq, 2004 Euphaedra thalie Hecq, 1981 Euphaedra zaddachi Dewitz, 1879 Subgenus Xypetana Hecq, 1976 The xypete species group Euphaedra acuta Hecq, 1977 Euphaedra hebes Hecq, 1980 Euphaedra hewitsoni Hecq, 1974 Euphaedra maxima Holland, 1920 Euphaedra oremansi Hecq, 1996 Euphaedra xypete (Hewitson, 1865) The dargei species group Euphaedra acutoides Hecq, 1996 Euphaedra brevis Hecq, 1977 Euphaedra dargei Hecq, 1975 Euphaedra grandis Hecq, 1980 Euphaedra graueri Rothschild, 1918 Euphaedra herberti (Sharpe, 1891) Euphaedra karschi Bartel, 1905 Euphaedra lata Hecq, 1980 Euphaedra ubangui Hecq, 1974 The sinuosa species group Euphaedra diffusa Gaede, 1916 Euphaedra hollandi Hecq, 1974 Euphaedra sinuosa Hecq, 1974 The mirabilis species group Euphaedra ansorgei Rothschild, 1918 Euphaedra caerulescens Grose-Smith, 1890 Euphaedra camiadei Hecq, 2004 Euphaedra crockeri (Butler, 1869) Euphaedra crossei Sharpe, 1902 Euphaedra cuprea Hecq, 1980 Euphaedra irangi Hecq, 2004 Euphaedra jacqueshecqui Bollino, 1998 Euphaedra mirabilis Hecq, 1980 Euphaedra mondahensis van de Weghe, Oremans & Hecq, 2005 Euphaedra pervaga Hecq, 1996 Euphaedra romboutsi Hecq, 2004 Subgenus Radia Hecq, 1976 Euphaedra eusemoides (Grose-Smith & Kirby, 1889) Euphaedra imitans Holland, 1893 Subgenus Euphaedra Euphaedra cyparissa (Cramer, [1775]) Euphaedra sarcoptera (Butler, 1871) Subgenus Euphaedrana Hecq, 1976 The themis species group Euphaedra aberrans Staudinger, 1891 Euphaedra adonina (Hewitson, 1865) Euphaedra apparata Hecq, 1982 Euphaedra appositiva Hecq, 1982 Euphaedra aureola Kirby, 1889 Euphaedra campaspe (C. & R. Felder, [1867]) Euphaedra canui Hecq, 1987 Euphaedra centralis Hecq, 1985 Euphaedra congo Hecq, 1985 Euphaedra controversa Hecq, 1997 Euphaedra eberti Aurivillius, 1896 Euphaedra exerrata Hecq, 1982 Euphaedra janetta (Butler, 1871) Euphaedra justicia Staudinger, 1886 Euphaedra laboureana Toulgoët, 1957 Euphaedra laguerrei Hecq, 1979 Euphaedra minuta Hecq, 1982 Euphaedra modesta Hecq, 1982 Euphaedra permixtum (Butler, 1873) Euphaedra piriformis Hecq, 1982 Euphaedra splendens Hecq, 1982 Euphaedra stellata Hecq, 1991 Euphaedra themis (Hübner , [1807]) Euphaedra ueleana Hecq, 1982 Euphaedra uniformis (Neustetter, 1952) Euphaedra vetusta (Butler, 1871) The ceres species group Euphaedra afzelii (C. & R. Felder, [1867]) Euphaedra ceres (Fabricius, 1775) Euphaedra compacta Hecq, 1997 Euphaedra cottoni Sharpe, 1907 Euphaedra dargeana Hecq, 1980 Euphaedra delera Hecq, 1983 Euphaedra demeter Hecq, 1983 Euphaedra densamacula Hecq, 1997 Euphaedra fontainei Hecq, 1977 Euphaedra francina Godart, [1824] Euphaedra grilloti Hecq, 1983 Euphaedra ignota Hecq, 1996 Euphaedra inanum (Butler, 1873) Euphaedra intermedia Rebel, 1914 Euphaedra jacksoni Hecq, 1980 Euphaedra jolyana Hecq, 1986 Euphaedra knoopiana Hecq, 1995 Euphaedra luteolucens Hecq, 1995 Euphaedra margaritifera Schultze, 1920 Euphaedra nigrocilia Lathy, 1903 Euphaedra persephona Hecq, 1983 Euphaedra phaethusa (Butler, [1866]) Euphaedra phosphor Joicey & Talbot, 1921 Euphaedra preussiana Gaede, 1916 Euphaedra proserpina Hecq, 1983 Euphaedra ravola (Hewitson, 1866) Euphaedra regis-leopoldi Hecq, 1996 Euphaedra regularis Hecq, 1983 Euphaedra rezia (Hewitson, 1866) Euphaedra sarita (Sharpe, 1891) Euphaedra solida Hecq, 1997 Euphaedra subprotea Hecq, 1986 Euphaedra tenebrosa Hecq, 1983 Euphaedra uganda Aurivillius, 1895 Euphaedra velutina Hecq, 1997 Euphaedra villiersi Condamin, 1964 Euphaedra viridicaerulea Bartel, 1905 Euphaedra wojtusiaki Hecq, 1993 The preussi species group Euphaedra albofasciata Berger, 1981 Euphaedra bergeri Hecq, 1974 Euphaedra cinnamomea Rothschild, 1918 Euphaedra disjuncta Hecq, 1984 Euphaedra fascinata Hecq, 1984 Euphaedra fulvofasciata Holland, 1920 Euphaedra illustris Talbot, 1927 Euphaedra leloupi Overlaet, 1955 Euphaedra margueriteae Hecq, 1978 Euphaedra mayumbensis Hecq, 1984 Euphaedra miranda Hecq, 1984 Euphaedra neumanni Rothschild, 1902 Euphaedra niveovittata Overlaet, 1955 Euphaedra ochrovirens Hecq, 1984 Euphaedra olivacea Grünberg, 1908 Euphaedra overlaeti Hulstaert, 1926 Euphaedra paradoxa Neave, 1904 Euphaedra preussi Staudinger, 1891 Euphaedra procera Hecq, 1984 Euphaedra subprocera Hecq, 1984 Euphaedra subviridis Holland, 1920 Euphaedra vicina Hecq, 1984 Euphaedra xerophila Hecq, 1974 The eleus species group Euphaedra alacris Hecq, 1978 Euphaedra amieti Hecq, 1994 Euphaedra asteria Hecq, 1993 Euphaedra bouyeri Hecq, 1993 Euphaedra castanoides Hecq, 1985 Euphaedra cooksoni Druce, 1905 Euphaedra confina Hecq, 1992 Euphaedra coprates (Druce, 1875) Euphaedra edwardsii (van der Hoeven, 1845) Euphaedra eleus (Drury, 1782) Euphaedra ferruginea Staudinger, 1886 Euphaedra hybrida Hecq, 1978 Euphaedra katangensis Talbot, 1927 Euphaedra murphyi Hecq, 1991 Euphaedra nigrobasalis Joicey & Talbot, 1921 Euphaedra ochracea Hecq, 1978 Euphaedra orientalis Rothschild, 1898 Euphaedra perseis (Drury, 1773) Euphaedra rattrayi Sharpe, 1904 Euphaedra ruspina Hewitson, 1865 Euphaedra sangbae Hecq, 1996 Euphaedra semipreussiana Hecq, 1993 Euphaedra simplex Hecq, 1978 Euphaedra subferruginea Guillaumin, 1976 Euphaedra variabilis Guillaumin, 1976 Euphaedra zampa (Westwood, 1850) The harpalyce species group Euphaedra alava Hecq, 2000 Euphaedra alboides Hecq, 1984 Euphaedra alternus van Someren, 1935 Euphaedra dubreka Collins & Larsen, 2005 Euphaedra eupalus (Fabricius, 1781) Euphaedra harpalyce (Cramer, [1777]) Euphaedra losinga (Hewitson, 1864) Euphaedra luafa Oremans, 1998 Euphaedra occulta Hecq, 1982 Euphaedra thierrybaulini Oremans, 1999 Euphaedra vandeweghei Hecq, 2004 Species group unknown Euphaedra normalis Staudinger, 1891 Euphaedra temeraria Hecq, 2007 Euphaedra viridirupta Hecq, 2007 Subgenus Neophronia Hecq, 1985 Euphaedra neophron (Hopffer, 1855) Subgenus unknown Euphaedra abri Faravel, 2005 Euphaedra castanea Berger, 1981 Euphaedra cuypersiana Hecq, 2006 Euphaedra larseni Hecq, 2005 Euphaedra limbourgi Oremans, 2006 Euphaedra mambili Hecq, 2001 Euphaedra opulenta Hecq & Van de Weghe, 2005 Euphaedra rex Stoneham, 1935 Euphaedra sabinae Faravel, 2002 Euphaedra sardetta Berger, 1981 Euphaedra vulnerata Schultze, 1916 Euphaedra wissmanni Niepelt, 1906 
