Art Shapiro's Butterfly Site

Nymphalidae

With about 6000 species worldwide, the morphological diversity within the brushfoots is immense. There have been decades of debates about how to classify the group and what traits are important and useful. For our purposes, the uniting characteristic of the brushfoots is the reduction of the front pair of legs into small, brush-like appendages that serve no real function, rather like the human appendix or tailbone. As a result, while they still have 3 pairs of legs (an insect characteristic), only two of those leg pairs are actually functional. Brushfoots are some of our largest and recognizable butterflies, including the monarch (Danaus plexippus), painted lady (Vanessa cardui), California tortoiseshell (Nymphalis californica), and mourning cloak (Nymphalis antiopa).

	Atlantis Fritillary Speyeria atlantis irene
	Bordered Patch Chlosyne lacinia
	Buckeye Junonia coenia
	California Crescent Phyciodes orseis herlani
	California Ringlet Coenonympha tullia california
	California Sister Adelpha bredowii californica
	California Tortoiseshell Nymphalis californica
	Callippe Fritillary Speyeria callippe juba
	Callippe Fritillary Speyeria callippe ssp.
	Crown Fritillary, Coronis Fritillary Speyeria coronis
	Edith's Checkerspot Euphydryas editha
	Faun, Green Comma Polygonia faunus
	Feather River Crescent Phyciodes campestris campestris/montana
	Field Crescent Phyciodes campestris campestris
	Great Basin Fritillary, Egleis Fritillary Speyeria egleis
	Great Basin Ringlet, East Slope Ringlet Coenonympha tullia ampelos
	Great Basin Wood Nymph Cercyonis sthenele silvestris
	Gulf Fritillary Agraulis vanillae
	Hoffmann's Checkerspot Chlosyne hoffmanni
	Hydaspe Fritillary Speyeria hydaspe
	Ivallda Arctic Oeneis chryxus ivallda
	Leanira Checkerspot Thessalia leanira
	Leto Fritillary Speyeria cybele leto
	Lorquin's Admiral Limenitis lorquini
	Milbert's Tortoiseshell Nymphalis milberti
	Monarch Danaus plexippus
	Montana Crescent Phyciodes campestris montana
	Mormon Fritillary Speyeria mormonia
	Mourning Cloak Nymphalis antiopa
	Mylitta Crescent Phyciodes mylitta
	Nevada Silverspot Speyeria callippe nevadensis
	Northeastern California Crescent Phyciodes campestris inornatus
	Northern Checkerspot Chlosyne palla
	Ox-Eyed Satyr Cercyonis pegala boopis
	Painted Lady Vanessa cardui
	Queen Danaus gilippus
	Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta
	Satyr Anglewing Polygonia satyrus
	Small Wood-Nymph Cercyonis oetus
	Variable Checkespot, Chalcedon Checkerspot Euphydryas chalcedona
	West Coast Lady Vanessa annabella
	West Virginia Lady, American Painted Lady Vanessa virginiensis
	Western Meadow Fritillary Boloria epithore
	Zephyr Anglewing Polygonia zephyrus
	Zerene Fritillary Speyeria zerene