Elymniini

The Elymniini is one of the tribes of the subfamily Satyrinae. If the subfamily Satyrinae elevate to family status, this tribe shall be treated as subfamily Elymniinae. Elymniini was formerly a large group, but recently, it is considered to be include only one genus, Elymnias, according to molecular phylogenetic analyses.

Systematics and taxonomy

The systematics and taxonomy of Satyrinae began to be heavily revised around the 2000s, and this revision continues to this day. Consequently, the subdivisions of this tribe have also undergone significant changes in recent years.

The higher level classification of Satyrine butterfly developed by became the basis for later taxonomic studies.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The work which based on adult morphology, recognised seven subfamilies in the family Satyridae: Haeterinae, Brassolinae, Biinae, Elymniinae, Eritinae, Ragadiinae and Satyrinae, and four tribes within Elymniinae: Lethini, Zetherini, Elymniini and Mycalesini.Template:Sfn A later work, , largely followed Miller's classification, but downranked the family Satyridae to the subfamily Satyrinae, with the consequent downranking of the subdivisions : subfamilies to tribes, tribes to subtribes, such as Elymniinae to the tribe Elymniini and Elymniini to the subtribe Elymniiti.Template:Sfn In these classifications, Elymniinae/Elymniini was the second largest subgroup of Satyrine butterflies after Satyrinae/Satyrini. However, the morphological key characters that defined this group were not entirely definitive and the phylogenetic relationship of this group with other groups in the family/subfamily was confused.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn

The confusion over the taxonomy and phylogeny of Satyrinae is gradually being resolved by recent developments in molecular phylogenetic studies.Template:Sfn was the first to develop a comprehensive phylogenetic hypothesis of Satyrinae since Miller, and showed that most of the families previously recognised were paraphyletic or polyphyletic. In the classification proposed in the work, Elymniini included only genus Elymnias, and the genera formerly included in that tribe, such as Lethe, Pararge and Mycalesis, were transferred to several tribes and subtribes, such as Lethina, Parargina and Mycalesina in Satyrini.Template:Sfn Subsequent analyses have largely followed this same classification scheme,Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn and also, all of the genera included in Elymniini by Miller were synonymized with Elymnias.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn Thus, the tribe Elymniini should include only a single genus Elymnias, according to current phylogenetic understanding.Template:Sfn

However, this classification is still new and may not always be used in catalogs, picture books, etc.Template:Sfn Moreover, phylogenetic analyses have not yet resolved the problems. For example, some analyses relate Hyantis and Morphopsis to this tribe, but others do not, therefore, it is not clear to which tribe these two genera should be placed in.Template:Sfn In addition, several different hypotheses have been proposed for the phylogenetic relationship between the tribe Elymniini and other tribes within Satyrinae,Template:SfnTemplate:SfnTemplate:Sfn thus there is no consensus on the phylogenetic position of this tribe in the subfamily.Template:Sfn

File:Zethera incerta.jpg

Zethera incerta, Indonesia

File:Speckled wood (Pararge aegeria aegeria) male.jpg

Pararge aegeria male, Portugal

File:Northern Pearly-eye - Lethe anthedon, Meadowood Farm SRMA, Mason Neck, Virginia - 28524907924.jpg

Lethe anthedon, Virginia, United States

File:Mycalesis 1 by Kadavoor-2.jpg

Mycalesis perseus, Kerala, India

Table for representative higher level classifications of satyrines in
(excerpts with some modificationsTemplate:Efn)

Family	Satyridae		Subfamily	Satyrinae	Satyrinae
Subfamily	Elymniinae		Tribe	Elymniini	Elymniini
Tribe	Elymniini		Subtribe	Elymniiti	Elymnias
Genera	Elymnias Elymniopsis		Genera	Elymnias ElymniopsisTemplate:Efn
Tribe	Lethini		Subtribe	Lethiti
Genera	Enodia Lethe Neope Satyrodes Kirinia Lasiommata Lopinga Pararge Ethope Neorina		Genera	Enodia Lethe Neope Satyrodes Kirinia Lasiommata Lopinga Pararge Ethope Neorina
Tribe	Mycalesini		Subtribe	Mycalesiti
Genera	Bicyclus Hallelesis Henotesia Mycalesis Orsotriaena		Genera	Bicyclus Hallelesis Henotesia Mycalesis Orsotriaena
Tribe	Zetherini		Subtribe	Zetheriti
Genera	Zethera		Genera	Zethera
			Tribe		Zetherini
			Genera		Neorina Penthema Ethope Zethera
Subfamily	Satyrinae		Tribe	Satyrini	Satyrini
			Subtribe		Parargina
			Genera		Kirinia Lopinga Lasiommata Pararge
			Subtribe		Lethina
			Genera		Lethe Enodia Satyrodes Neope
			Subtribe		Mycalesina
			Genera		Bicyclus Hallelesis Henotesia Mycalesis
Tribe	Coenonymphini		Subtribe	Coenonymphiti	Coenonymphina
Genera	* Not mentioned on this page		Genera	* Not mentioned on this page	OrsotriaenaTemplate:Efn
Tribe	Hypocystini		Subtribe	Hypocystiti
Genera	* Not mentioned on this page		Genera	* Not mentioned on this page

External links

• Elymniini at NYMPHALIDAE.net
• Elymniini Herrich-Schaeffer 1864 at TREE OF LIFE web project
• マネシヒカゲ族（Elymniini）のページ at Pteron World (in Japanese)