Riodina lysippus

Riodina lysippus
In the Pantanal, Brazil
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Riodinidae
Genus:	Riodina
Species:	R. lysippus
Binomial name
Riodina lysippus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms
Papilio lysippus Linnaeus, 1758 Erycina lysippus (Linnaeus), 1758 Erycina lysippe Hübner, [1819] Riodina negrita Seitz, 1913

Riodina lysippus is a species of Neotropical metalmark butterfly. It is the type species of its genus and of the entire family Riodinidae. It is found throughout northern parts of South America and the Caribbean.

Description

Upperside. The wings are chocolate black. On the anterior is an orange-coloured line, which, rising about the middle of the anterior edge, crosses the wing towards the anal angle, where it suddenly bends, and terminates at the posterior edge. The posterior wings, which are angulated, have a circular orange line, rising at the anterior edge, near the corner, crossing the wings, and meeting near the anal angle.

Underside. The wings are of the same colour as on the upperside, with the same orange line, whereon, in the anterior pair, are some white spots. Between this and the base are several faint, dirty grey, oblong spots, namely, four on the anterior, and about twenty on the posterior wing. The base of the anterior margin of the fore wings, and the anal margin of the posterior wings, are of a red colour.

Subspecies

• Riodina lysippus lysippus (Venezuela)
• Riodina lysippus erratica Seitz, 1913 (Brazil: Amazonas)
• Riodina lysippus lysias Stichel, 1910 (Ecuador, Bolivia)