Charaxes
Sign in to saveThe rajah and pasha butterflies, also known as emperors in Africa and Australia, (genus Charaxes) make up the type genus of the brush-footed butterfly subfamily Charaxinae, or leafwing butterflies. They belong to the tribe Charaxini, which also includes the nawab butterflies (Polyura, a subgenus of Charaxes). Charaxes are tropical Old World butterflies, with by far the highest diversity in sub-Saharan Africa, a smaller number from South Asia to Melanesia and Australia, and a single species (C. jasius) in Europe. They are generally strong flyers and are popular among butterfly collectors.
Taxonomy · GBIF
GENUS
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumArthropoda
- ClassInsecta
- OrderLepidoptera
- FamilyNymphalidae
via GBIF · CC0
Article
13 sectionsContents
- Etymology
- Biology
- Life history
- Description of the imago
- Sexual differences
- Taxonomy
- Species groups
- Species
- Species not found in the Afrotropical realm
- Species found in the Afrotropical realm
- References
- Further reading
- External links
The rajah and pasha butterflies, also known as emperors in Africa and Australia, (genus Charaxes) make up the type genus of the brush-footed butterfly subfamily Charaxinae, or leafwing butterflies. They belong to the tribe Charaxini, which also includes the nawab butterflies (Polyura, a subgenus of Charaxes). Charaxes are tropical Old World butterflies, with by far the highest diversity in sub-Saharan Africa, a smaller number from South Asia to Melanesia and Australia, and a single species (C. jasius) in Europe. They are generally strong flyers and are popular among butterfly collectors.
==Etymology== Charaxes means "to sharpen" or "to make pointed", referring to the pointed 'tails' on the hind wing. Charaxes may also be related to charax, meaning 'a sharp stake', or charaxis, a 'notch' or 'incision', which are also features of the hind wing.