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Typical sailers
	Neptis saclava
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Subfamily:	Limenitidinae
Tribe:	Neptini
Genus:	Neptis; Fabricius, 1807
Species
	158 species
Synonyms
	Philonoma Billberg, 1820; Paraneptis Moore, 1898; Kalkasia Moore, 1898; Hamadryodes Moore, 1898; Bimbisara Moore, 1898; Bimbisara Moore, [1899]; Stabrobates Moore, 1898; Stabrobates Moore, [1899]; Rasalia Moore, 1898; Rasalia Moore, [1899]; Neptidomima Holland, 1920;

Neptis is a large genus of butterflies of Old World tropics and subtropics.^[2] They are commonly called sailer butterflies or sailers, or more precisely typical sailers to distinguish them from the related blue sailer (Pseudoneptis).

Description

The head is rather broad and moderately hairy on the forehead. The eyes are large and prominent. The palpi are short, acute, slender, hairy, and do not rise above the level of the forehead. The antennae are moderately long, terminating in an elongate, gradually-formed club, flattened on its upper surface. The thorax is not robust and it is as broad as the head and slightly hairy posteriorly. The wing characters are: forewings elongate, rather truncate; costa only slightly arched; apex not acute, but well marked; hind margin slightly convex and sinuated; anal angle distinct; inner-margin convex near base, slightly concave about middle. Hindwings large, rounded; costa strongly arched; hind margin moderately dentate; inner margins only slightly convex, not covering posterior portion of the abdomen. Upperside patterning consists of white spots and bars (some species have orange or yellow bars) on a black ground colour. Underside patterns are yellowish to reddish brown, alternating with white bands The legs are rather short and stout. The abdomen is slender, much compressed and rather elongate.

The head of the larva is very large and bifid on its summit. There is a pair of downy, elongate, tubercular processes, projecting laterally, on both the second and third segments—those on the third segment are much longer. There is an upright pyramidal process on the penultimate segment and the body is attenuated posteriorly.

The pupa is strongly curved (thick in central portion). The head is deeply bifid.

Neptis nashona showing undersides. In Neptis both sexes have similar wing markings but females are larger.
African Neptis. Distinguishing the species involves study of the configuration of the white spots, bars and submarginal lines on both wing surfaces.
African Neptis. Plate accompanying a classic study by Harry Eltringham
Larva and pupa, figures 10 and 10a

Distribution

About 65 species occur in the Afrotropical realm, over 40 in the Palearctic realm 6 in the Australasian realm and about 50 occur in the Indomalayan realm.

Habitat

Neptis are forest, including rainforest and secondary forest, butterflies. They are also found in lightly wooded areas and gardens.

Biology

Larval food plants come from the families Fabaceae, Rhamnaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Polygonaceae, Sapindaceae, Urticaceae and Connaraceae.

Adults have a "sailing" flight flapping their wings and then gliding. They frequently perch and visit flowers for nectar and damp patches where they imbibe salts and other nutrients. Adult uppersides exhibit disruptive coloration, This species has been observed to make sounds whose function has not been established.^[3]

Taxonomy

Neptis are allied to Pantoporia, in which the white wing markings are replaced by orange and to Athyma resemble Neptis but have more triangular forewings. The type species of the genus is Papilio aceris Esper.

Species

Species include:

Neptis agatha Cramer 1782
Neptis agouale Pierre-Baltus, 1978
Neptis alta Overlaet, 1955
Neptis alwina Bremer & Grey, 1853
Neptis amieti Pierre-Baltus, 2007
Neptis ananta Moore, 1858 – yellow sailer
Neptis angusta Condamin, 1966
Neptis anjana Moore, 1881 – rich sailer
Neptis antilope Leech, 1892 – variegated sailer
Neptis arachne Leech, 1890
Neptis armandia Oberthür, 1876
Neptis aurivillii Schultze, 1913
Neptis beroe Leech, 1890
Neptis biafra Ward, 1871
Neptis brebissonii Boisduval, 1832
Neptis camarensis Schultze, 1917
Neptis carcassoni van Son, 1959 – Carcasson's streaked sailer
Neptis carlsbergi Collins & Larsen, 2005
Neptis carpenteri Eltringham, 1922
Neptis cartica Moore, 1872 – plain sailer
Neptis celebica Moore, 1899 - Celebes sailer
Neptis choui Yuan & Wang, 1994
Neptis clarei Aurivillius, 1912 – Clare's sailer
Neptis claude Collins & Larsen, 2005
Neptis clinia Moore, 1872 – clear sailer
Neptis clinioides de Nicéville, 1894
Neptis columella Neave, 1904
Neptis comorarum Oberthür, 1890
Neptis conspicua Neave, 1904
Neptis constantiae Carcasson, 1961 – Constance's sailer
Neptis continuata Holland, 1892
Neptis cormilloti Turlin, 1994
Neptis cydippe Leech, 1890 – Chinese yellow sailer
Neptis cymela C. & R. Felder, 1863
Neptis decaryi Le Cerf, 1928
Neptis dejeani Oberthür, 1894
Neptis dentifera Schultze, 1917
Neptis divisa Oberthür, 1908
Neptis dumetorum Boisduval, 1833
Neptis duryodana Moore, 1858
Neptis eltringhami Joicey & Talbot, 1926
Neptis esakii Nomura, 1935
Neptis exaleuca Karsch, 1894
Neptis felisimilis Schröder & Treadaway, 1983
Neptis frobenia (Fabricius, 1798)
Neptis goochi Trimen, 1879 – (small) streaked sailer
Neptis gracilis (Kirsch, 1885)
Neptis gratiosa Overlaet, 1955
Neptis guia Chou & Wang, 1994
Neptis harita Moore, 1875 – (Indian) dingiest sailer
Neptis hesione Leech, 1890
Neptis hylas (Linnaeus, 1758) – common sailer
Neptis ida Moore, 1858
Neptis ilira Kheil, 1884
Neptis incongrua Butler, 1896
Neptis infusa Birket-Smith, 1960
Neptis ioannis Eliot, 1959
Neptis jamesoni Godman & Salvin, 1890
Neptis jordani Neave, 1910 – Jordan's sailer
Neptis jumbah Moore, 1857 – chestnut-streaked sailer
Neptis katama Collins & Larsen, 1991
Neptis kikideli Boisduval, 1833
Neptis kikuyuensis Jackson, 1951 – Kikuyu sailer
Neptis kiriakoffi Overlaet, 1955 – Kiriakoff's sailer
Neptis laeta Overlaet, 1955 – common sailer
Neptis lamtoensis Pierre-Baltus, 2007
Neptis larseni Wojtusiak & Pyrcz, 1997
Neptis latvitta Strand, 1909
Neptis lermanni Aurivillius, 1896
Neptis leucoporos Fruhstorfer, 1908
Neptis liberti Pierre & Pierre-Baltus, 1998
Neptis livingstonei Suffert, 1904
Neptis loma Condamin, 1971
Neptis lugubris Rebel, 1914
Neptis magadha C. & R. Felder, 1867
Neptis mahendra Moore, 1872 – Himalayan sailer
Neptis manasa Moore, 1857 – pale hockeystick sailer
Neptis marci Collins & Larsen, 1998
Neptis matilei Pierre-Balthus, 2000
Neptis mayottensis Oberthür, 1890
Neptis melicerta (Drury, 1773) – streaked sailer
Neptis meloria Oberthür, 1906
Neptis metalla Doubleday & Hewitson
Neptis metanira Holland, 1892
Neptis metella Doubleday & Hewitson, 1850
Neptis miah Moore, 1858
Neptis mindorana C. & R. Felder, 1863
Neptis mixophyes Holland, 1892
Neptis morosa Overlaet, 1955 – morose sailer
Neptis mpassae Pierre-Baltus, 2007
Neptis multiscoliata Pierre-Baltus, 2007
Neptis najo Karsch, 1893
Neptis namba Tytler, 1915
Neptis nandina Moore, 1858
Neptis narayana Moore, 1858 – broadstick sailer
Neptis nashona Swinhoe, 1896 – less rich sailer
Neptis nata Moore, 1858 – dirty sailer
Neptis nausicaa de Nicéville, 1897
Neptis nebrodes Hewitson, 1874
Neptis nemetes Hewitson, 1868
Neptis nemorosa Oberthür, 1906
Neptis nemorum Oberthür, 1906
Neptis nicobule Holland, 1892
Neptis nicomedes Hewitson, 1874
Neptis nicoteles Hewitson, 1874
Neptis nigra Pierre-Baltus, 2007
Neptis nina Staudinger, 1896 – tiny sailer
Neptis nisaea de Nicéville, 1894
Neptis nitetis Hewitson, 1868
Neptis noyala Oberthür, 1906
Neptis nycteus de Nicéville, 1890 – hockeystick sailer
Neptis nysiades Hewitson, 1868
Neptis occidentalis Rothschild, 1918
Neptis ochracea Neave, 1904
Neptis omeroda Moore, 1875
Neptis pampanga C. & R. Felder, 1863
Neptis paula Staudinger, 1895
Neptis penningtoni van Son, 1977 – Pennington's sailer
Neptis philyra Ménétriés, 1858
Neptis philyroides Staudinger, 1887
Neptis poultoni Eltringham, 1921
Neptis praslini (Boisduval, 1832)
Neptis pryeri Butler, 1871
Neptis pseudonamba Huang, 2001
Neptis pseudovikasi (Moore, 1899)
Neptis puella Aurivillius, 1894
Neptis quintilla Mabille, 1890
Neptis radha Moore, 1857 – great yellow sailer
Neptis reducta Fruhstorfer, 1908
Neptis rivularis (Scopoli, 1763) – Hungarian glider
Neptis rogersi Eltringham, 1921 – Roger's sailer
Neptis rothschildi Eltringham, 1921
Neptis rosa Pierre-Baltus, 2007
Neptis saclava Boisduval, 1833 – spotted sailer
Neptis sangangi Huang, 2001
Neptis sankara (Kollar, 1844) – broad-banded sailer
Neptis sappho (Pallas, 1771) – common glider or Pallas' sailer
Neptis satina Grose-Smith, 1894
Neptis sedata Sasaki, 1982
Neptis seeldrayersi Aurivillius, 1895
Neptis serena Overlaet, 1955 – river sailer
Neptis sextilla Mabille, 1882
Neptis sinocartica Chou & Wang, 1994
Neptis soma Moore, 1858 – sullied sailer
Neptis speyeri Staudinger, 1887
Neptis stellata Pierre-Baltus, 2007
Neptis strigata Aurivillius, 1894
Neptis sunica Eliot, 1969
Neptis swynnertoni Trimen, 1912
Neptis sylvana Oberthür, 1906
Neptis taiwana Fruhstorfer, 1908
Neptis theodora Oberthür, 1906
Neptis thestias Leech, 1892
Neptis thetis Leech, 1890
Neptis trigonophora Butler, 1878 – barred sailer
Neptis troundi Pierre-Baltus, 1978
Neptis vibusa Semper, 1889
Neptis vikasi Horsfield, 1829 – dingy sailer
Neptis vindo Pierre-Baltus, 1978
Neptis vingerhoedti Pierre-Baltus, 2003
Neptis viridis Pierre-Baltus, 2007
Neptis woodwardi Sharpe, 1899 – Woodward's sailer
Neptis yerburii Butler, 1886 – Yerbury's sailer
Neptis zaida Westwood, 1850 – pale-green sailer

References

^ Afrotropical Butterflies: Nymphalidae – Tribe Limenitidini
^ Brower, Andrew V. Z. 2006. Neptis Fabricius 1807. Neptidomima Holland 1920. Version 9 December 2006 [1]
^ Scott, F.W. (1968). Sound produced by Neptis hylas (Nymphalidae). Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 22(4):254