Melanargia


Melanargia is a genus of butterflies belonging to the family Nymphalidae and the subfamily Satyrinae.
This genus, described by Johann Wilhelm Meigen in 1828, is the only genus in the subtribe Melanargiina, Wheeler, 1903.
The adults of this genus of satyrines are easily distinguished by their white wings with black veins and markings. A peculiar phenotypic distinctiveness is also a dilated vein 12 at the base of the forewing.
Butterflies of genus Melanargia are widespread from Europe and north Africa to Japan.

Species and subspecies

The investigations on genetic divergence and phylogenetic relationships among Melanargia species have recognized three subgenera and reclassified the genus in 20 species and relevant subspecies as follows
Subgenus Melanargia Melanargia galathea - marbled white
  • * Melanargia galathea ssp. galathea
  • * Melanargia galathea ssp. satnia Fruhstorfer, 1917
  • * Melanargia galathea ssp. magdalenae Reichl, 1975
  • * Melanargia galathea ssp. syracusana Zeller, 1847Melanargia lucasi
  • * Melanargia lucasi ssp. lucasi
  • * Melanargia lucasi ssp. meadwaldoi Rothschild, 1917Melanargia lachesis - Iberian marbled whiteMelanargia evartianae
  • * Melanargia evartianae ssp. evartianae Wagener, 1976
  • * Melanargia evartianae ssp. sadjadii Carbonell & Naderi, 2006Melanargia teneates
  • * Melanargia teneates ssp. teneates
  • * Melanargia teneates ssp. meda Melanargia hylata Melanargia larissa - Balkan marbled white
  • * Melanargia larissa ssp. larissa
  • * Melanargia larissa ssp. hylata
  • * Melanargia larissa ssp. grumi
  • * Melanargia larissa ssp. lorestanensis
  • * Melanargia larissa ssp. iranica
  • * Melanargia larissa ssp. taurica
  • * Melanargia larissa ssp. massageta
  • * Melanargia larissa ssp. karabagi
  • * Melanargia larissa ssp. kocaki
  • * Melanargia larissa ssp. syriaca
  • * Melanargia larissa ssp. titea Melanargia wiskotii Melanargia russiae - Esper's marbled white
  • * Melanargia russiae ssp. russiae
  • * Melanargia russiae ssp. cleanthe
  • * Melanargia russiae ssp. japygia Melanargia transcaspica
  • * Melanargia transcaspica ssp. transcaspica
  • * Melanargia transcaspica ssp. eberti Melanargia parce Melanargia lucida
Subgenus Argeformia Melanargia occitanica - western marbled white
Subgenus Halimede Melanargia leda
  • * Melanargia leda ssp. leda
  • * Melanargia leda ssp. melli Wagener, 1961Melanargia halimede
  • * Melanargia halimede ssp. halimede
  • * Melanargia halimede ssp. coreana Melanargia meridionalis
  • * Melanargia meridionalis ssp. meridionalis
  • * Melanargia meridionalis ssp. tapaishanensis Melanargia lugens
  • * Melanargia lugens ssp. lugens
  • * Melanargia lugens ssp. hengshanensis
  • * Melanargia lugens ssp. montana Melanargia epimede
  • * Melanargia epimede ssp. epimede
  • * Melanargia epimede ssp. pseudolugens
  • * Melanargia epimede ssp. ganymedes
  • ''Melanargia asiatica''