In the 10th edition of Systema Naturae, Carl Linnaeus classified the arthropods, including insects, arachnids and crustaceans, among his class "Insecta". Butterflies and moths were brought together under the name Lepidoptera. Linnaeus divided the group into three genera – Papilio, Sphinx and Phalaena. The first two, together with the seven subdivisions of the third, are now used as the basis for nine superfamily names: Papilionoidea, Sphingoidea, Bombycoidea, Noctuoidea, Geometroidea, Tortricoidea, Pyraloidea, Tineoidea and Alucitoidea.
Themes When naming the nearly 200 species of butterflies known to him at the time, Linnaeus used names from classical mythology as specific names. These were thematically arranged into six groups, and were drawn from classical sources including the Fabulae of Gaius Julius Hyginus and Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia. The first such group was the Equites, or knights, which were divided into the Equites Trojani (Trojan army) and Equites Achivi (Achaean army), and between them named most of the figures involved in the Trojan War. The second group was the Heliconii, comprising Apollo and Muses. The third group was the Danai, divided into the Danai Candidi and the Danai Festivi, representing the Danaids and their husbands. The fourth group was the Nymphales, or nymphs, divided into the Nymphales gemmati and the Nymphales phalerati, on the basis of the insects' wing markings. The fifth group, the Plebeji, were divided into Plebeji Rurales and Plebeji Urbicolae. There is little thematic connection between their names. The final group was the Barbari, or Argonauts.
Papilio (butterflies)
Equites Trojani
Papilio priamus – Ornithoptera priamus Papilio hector – Pachliopta hector Papilio paris – Papilio paris Papilio helenus – Papilio helenus Papilio troilus – Papilio troilus, spicebush swallowtail Papilio deiphobus – Papilio deiphobus Papilio polytes – Papilio polytes, common Mormon Papilio pammon – Papilio polytes Papilio glaucus – Papilio glaucus, eastern tiger swallowtail Papilio anchises – Parides anchises Papilio polydamas – Battus polydamas Papilio memnon – Papilio memnon, great Mormon Papilio agenor – subspecies of Papilio memnon, great Mormon Papilio sarpedon – Graphium sarpedon Papilio aeneas – Parides aeneas Papilio panthous – Ornithoptera priamus Papilio pandarus – Hypolimnas pandarus
Equites Achivi
Papilio helena – Troides helena Papilio menelaus – Morpho menelaus Papilio ulysses – Papilio ulysses Papilio agamemnon – Graphium agamemnon Papilio diomedes – Papilio ulysses Papilio patroclus – Lyssa patroclus (a moth) Papilio pyrrhus – Polyura pyrrhus Papilio leilus – Urania leilus (a moth) Papilio ajax – [rejected] Papilio machaon – Papilio machaon, Old World swallowtail Papilio antilochus – Papilio glaucus Papilio protesilaus – Protesilaus protesilaus Papilio nestor – Morpho menelaus Papilio telemachus – Morpho telemachus Papilio achilles – Morpho achilles Papilio podalirius – Iphiclides podalirius Papilio teucer – Caligo teucer Papilio idomeneus – Caligo idomeneus Papilio demoleus – Papilio demoleus Papilio demophon – Archaeoprepona demophon Papilio eurypylus – Graphium eurypylus Papilio nireus – Papilio nireus Papilio stelenes – Siproeta stelenes Papilio philoctetes – Antirrhea philoctetes
Heliconii
Papilio apollo – Parnassius apollo, Apollo Papilio mnemosyne – Parnassius mnemosyne, clouded Apollo Papilio piera – Haetera piera Papilio aglaja – [rejected] Papilio terpsicore – [nomen dubium] Papilio calliope – Stalachtis calliope Papilio polymnia – Mechanitis polymnia Papilio urania – Taenaris urania Papilio euterpe – Stalachtis euterpe Papilio ricini – Heliconius ricini Papilio psidii – Thyridia psidii Papilio clio – Eresia clio Papilio thalia – Actinote thalia Papilio erato – Heliconius doris Papilio melpomene – Heliconius melpomene
Danai candidi
Papilio anacardii – Protogoniomorpha anacardii Papilio crataegi – Aporia crataegi, black-veined white Papilio brassicae – Pieris brassicae, large white Papilio rapae – Pieris rapae, small white Papilio napi – Pieris napi, green-veined white Papilio sinapis – Leptidea sinapis, wood white Papilio daplidice – Pontia daplidice, Bath white Papilio cardamines – Anthocharis cardamines, orange tip Papilio euippe – Colotis euippe, round-winged orange tip Papilio glaucippe – Hebomoia glaucippe Papilio pyranthe – Catopsilia pyranthe Papilio arsalte – Heliopetes arsalte Papilio hyparete – Delias hyparete Papilio damone – [nomen dubium] Papilio trite – Rhabdodryas trite Papilio hyale – Colias hyale, pale clouded yellow Papilio sennae – Phoebis sennae, cloudless sulphur Papilio rhamni – Gonepteryx rhamni, common brimstone Papilio hecabe – Eurema hecabe
Danai festivi
Papilio midamus – Euploea midamus Papilio niavius – Amauris niavius Papilio enceladus – [nomen dubium] Papilio obrinus – Nessaea obrinus Papilio perius – Parathyma perius Papilio plexippus – Danaus plexippus, monarch Papilio chrysippus – Danaus chrysippus Papilio cassiae – Opsiphanes cassiae Papilio sophorae – Brassolis sophorae Papilio mineus – Mycalesis mineus Papilio hyperantus – Aphantopus hyperantus, the ringlet Papilio pamphilus – Coenonympha pamphilus, small heath Papilio xanthus – Catoblepia xanthus
Nymphales gemmati
Papilio io – Aglais io Papilio almana – Junonia almana Papilio asterie – Junonia almana Papilio aonis – Junonia lemonias Papilio oenone – Junonia oenone Papilio lemonias – Junonia lemonias Papilio orithya – Junonia orithya Papilio feronia – Hamadryas feronia Papilio maera – Lasiommata maera, large wall Papilio ligea – Erebia ligea Papilio aegeria – Pararge aegeria, speckled wood Papilio galathea – Melanargia galathea, marbled white Papilio cyrene – Salamis anacardii Papilio semele – Hipparchia semele, grayling Papilio leda – Melanitis leda Papilio helie – [nomen dubium] Papilio jurtina – Maniola jurtina, meadow brown Papilio aeropa – Lexias aeropa Papilio janira – Maniola janira Papilio cardui – Vanessa cardui, painted lady Papilio pipleis – Hypolimnas pandarus Papilio lampetia – Cupha lampetia Papilio iris – Apatura iris, purple emperor
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