| Satyrinae | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Speckled wood,Pararge aegeria | |
Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Subfamily: | Satyrinae Boisduval, 1833 |
| Tribes[1] | |
Dirini | |
| Diversity | |
| Over 280 genera, some 2400 species | |
| Synonyms | |
Satyridae | |
TheSatyrinae, thesatyrines orsatyrids, commonly known as thebrowns, are asubfamily of theNymphalidae (brush-footedbutterflies). They were formerly considered a distinctfamily,Satyridae. This group contains nearly half of the known diversity of brush-footed butterflies. The true number of the Satyrinaespecies is estimated to exceed 2,400.[2]
They are generally weak fliers and often shun bright sunlight, preferring moist and semishaded habitats. Thecaterpillars feed chiefly onmonocotyledonous plants such aspalms,grasses, andbamboos. TheMorphinae are sometimes united with this group.
Thetaxonomy andsystematics of the subfamily are under heavy revision. Much of the early pioneering work of L. D. Miller[3] has helped significantly by creating some sort of order.Dyndirus (Capronnier, 1874) is a satyridincertae sedis. Other than thisgenus, according to the latest studies on the classification of Nymphalidae,[4] all satyrines have been assigned to one of thetribes, at least preliminarily.[5] For detailed lists, see the tribe pages.
