Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Whites, Sulphurs, Yellows (Pieridae) » Sulphurs and Yellows (Coliadinae) » Abaeis

Genus Abaeis

Sleepy Orange Butterfly? - Abaeis nicippe

Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe) ? - Abaeis nicippe

Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both

Classification

Kingdom Animalia (Animals)

Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)

Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)

Class Insecta (Insects)

Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)

Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)

Family Pieridae (Whites, Sulphurs, Yellows)

Subfamily Coliadinae (Sulphurs and Yellows)

Genus Abaeis

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Abaeis Hübner 1819. Type species: Papilio nicippe Cramer

Xanthidia Boisduval & Le Conte 1829. Type species: Papilio nicippe Cramer [= Abaeis]

Explanation of Names

The single North American species (nicippe) was considered to belong to Abaeis, and recognized as distinct from Eurema by Opler and Warren in 2003.

BugGuide currently follows the taxonomy of Opler and Warren, which is the same as that used at Butterflies of America (see discussion here)

The distinction of Abaeis from Eurema is still hotly debated, and not universally accepted (see related comments under Pyrisitia).

Numbers

There are 2 species - A. nicippe (Cramer), is widespread and occurs in North America north of Mexico. Abaeis nicippiformis (Munroe) is restricted to the island of Hispanola.