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).

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