Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 12, 2026

Morphinae

The Morphinae are a subfamily of Nymphalidae butterflies that includes the morphos, the owl butterflies (Caligo), and related lineages. It is either considered a sister group of the Satyrinae, or disassembled and included therein.

Last revised
Jun 12, 2026
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Morphinae
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Clade: Pancrustacea
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Morphinae
Tribes

(but see text)

The Morphinae are a subfamily of Nymphalidae butterflies that includes the morphos, the owl butterflies (Caligo), and related lineages. It is either considered a sister group of the Satyrinae, or disassembled and included therein.

Systematics

This group sometimes includes the monotypic (sub)tribe Biina, otherwise placed in the Brassolini.1 This group is the subject of intense study and the following classification is subject to modification.2

Listed alphabetically by tribe.3

Tribe Amathusiini (sometimes considered a distinct subfamily Amathusiinae):

  • 15 genera, see tribe article

Tribe Brassolini (previously considered a distinct subfamily Brassolinae):

  • 18-19 genera, see tribe article

Tribe Morphini:

References

References

  1. Freitas, A. V. L., Debra L. Murray, D. L., and Brown, K. S., Jr. 2002. Immatures, natural history and the systematic position of Bia actorion (Nymphalidae). Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society, 56(3): 117-122, 2 figs. (11 October) (Bia placed in Satyrinae)
  2. Lamas, G. (Ed.). (2004). Atlas of Neotropical Lepidoptera. Checklist: Part 4A. Hesperioidea-Papilionoidea. Gainesville: Association for Tropical Lepidoptera. ISBN 0-945417-28-4.
  3. Morphinae Archived 2013-10-13 at the Wayback Machine, funet.fr
External links