Leptotes (butterfly)

Updated on Jan 06, 2024

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Kingdom Animalia Order Lepidoptera Tribe Polyommatini Higher classification Lycaenidae		Phylum Arthropoda Family Lycaenidae Scientific name Leptotes Rank Genus

Lower classifications Leptotes plinius, Leptotes cassius, Leptotes marina, Leptotes jeanneli, Leptotes babaulti

Leptotes is a butterfly genus in the family Lycaenidae. They are commonly known as zebra blues in reference to their zebra-striped undersides.

Several species have recently been moved here from the genus Tarucus, a rather close relative. An even closer relative, however, seems to be Cyclyrius.

Species

The genus can be divided in two distinct geographic groups which are possible clades, as well as one more isolated species:

Afrotropical species:

Leptotes adamsoni Collins & Larsen, 1991 – Adamson's zebra blue

Leptotes babaulti – Babault's zebra blue

Leptotes brevidentatus (Tite, 1958) – Tite's zebra blue

Leptotes casca (Tite, 1958)

Leptotes cassioides (Capronnier, 1889)

Leptotes jeanneli (Stempffer, 1935)

Leptotes marginalis Aurivillius, 1924 – black-bordered zebra blue

Leptotes mayottensis (Tite, 1958)

Leptotes pirithous – Lang's short-tailed blue, common zebra blue

Leptotes pulcher (Murray, 1874) – beautiful zebra blue

Leptotes rabefaner (Mabille, 1877)

Leptotes socotranus (Ogilvie-Grant, 1899)

Leptotes terrenus (Joicey & Talbot, 1926)

Neotropical species:

Leptotes andicola (Godman & Salvin, 1891)

Leptotes bathyllos Dyar, 1913

Leptotes callanga (Dyar, 1913)

Leptotes cassius – Cassius blue, tropical striped blue

Leptotes delalande Bálint & Johnson, 1995

Leptotes lamasi Bálint & Johnson, 1995

Leptotes marina – marine blue, striped blue

Leptotes parrhasioides (Wallengren, 1860) – Galapagos blue

Leptotes perkinsae Kaye, 1931

Leptotes trigemmatus (Butler, 1881)

Placement uncertain:

Leptotes plinius – zebra blue, plumbago blue

References

Leptotes (butterfly) Wikipedia

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