Kallima

Kallima, known as the oakleaf or oak leaf butterflies, is a genus of butterflies of the subfamily Nymphalinae in the family Nymphalidae. They are found in east, south and southeast Asia. Their common name is a reference to the lower surface of their wings, which is various shades of brown like a dead leaf.

Oakleafs
Kallima inachus, showing the leaf-like appearance of the closed wings, which is typical of the genus.
Kallima paralekta, male showing the brilliant colors of the upper surfaces of the wings.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Tribe: Kallimini
Genus: Kallima
Doubleday, 1849
Type species
Paphia paralekta
Horsfield, [1829]
Species

See text

When the wings are held closed, this results in a remarkable masquerade of a dead leaf, further emphasized by their wing shape.[1]

Taxonomy

This genus has traditionally also included a number of African species, but they are now usually placed in Kallimoides, Junonia (alternatively in Kamilla) and Mallika. The following species are currently members of the genus Kallima:[2][3]

References

  1. Cott, Hugh (1940). Adaptive Coloration in Animals. Oxford University Press. pp. 318–320.
  2. "Kallima Doubleday, [1849]" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  3. Takashi Shirôzu & Akinori Nakanishi (1984). "A revision of the genus Kallima Doubleday (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae)". Tyô to Ga. 34 (3): 97–110.
  4. Valappil, B. and K. Saji. 2015. Kallima horsfieldii Kollar, 1844 – Blue Oakleaf. Kunte, K., P. Roy, S. Kalesh and U. Kodandaramaiah (eds.). Butterflies of India, v. 2.20. Indian Foundation for Butterflies.http://www.ifoundbutterflies.org/sp/553/Kallima-horsfieldii
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