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Vanessa (butterfly)
Encyclopedia
Vanessa is a genus
of brush-footed butterflies. Many people are familiar with it, as it has a near-global distribution and includes conspicuous species such as the red admirals (e.g., Red Admiral
, Indian Red Admiral, New Zealand Red Admiral
), the Kamehameha, and the painted ladies of subgenus Cynthia: Painted Lady
, American Painted Lady
, Australian Painted Lady
, etc. For African Admirals see genus, Antanartia
.
The name of the genus may have been taken from the girl's name
. Though it has been suggested the name may be a variant of "Phanessa", from an Ancient Greek
word for a mystic divinity, this is unlikely. The name of the divinity is actually not "Phanessa" but Phanes
. Johan Christian Fabricius
, the entomologist who named this genus, normally used the original forms of the names of classical divinities when he created new scientific names.
Pale Fire.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of brush-footed butterflies. Many people are familiar with it, as it has a near-global distribution and includes conspicuous species such as the red admirals (e.g., Red Admiral
Red Admiral
The Red Admiral is a well-known colourful butterfly, found in temperate Europe, Asia and North America. The Red Admiral has a wing span. The species is resident only in warmer areas, but migrates north in spring, and sometimes again in autumn.This large butterfly is identified by its striking...
, Indian Red Admiral, New Zealand Red Admiral
New Zealand Red Admiral
The New Zealand Red Admiral is a butterfly that is endemic to New Zealand. The Māori name is kahukura which means red cloak. The Red Admiral is a member of the family Nymphalidae, the sub-family Nymphalinae as well as the tribe Nymphalini.There are two sub-species of Vanessa gonerilla, V. g...
), the Kamehameha, and the painted ladies of subgenus Cynthia: Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui
Vanessa cardui is a well-known colourful butterfly, known as the Painted Lady, or in North America as the Cosmopolitan. This butterfly has a strange pattern of flying in a sort of screw shape.-Distribution:...
, American Painted Lady
American Painted Lady
The American Painted Lady or American Lady is a butterfly found throughout North America.Vanessa virginiensis lives in flowery habitats, usually in mountains. The larvae feed on various Asteraceae, especially the cudweeds of genus Gnaphalium...
, Australian Painted Lady
Australian painted lady
Vanessa kershawi, commonly known as the Australian Painted Lady, is a butterfly that is mostly confined to Australia, although westerly winds have dispersed it to islands east of Australia, including New Zealand. During spring adult butterflies migrate south in large numbers from northern states of...
, etc. For African Admirals see genus, Antanartia
Antanartia
Antanartia, commonly called Admirals, is a genus in the Nymphalidae family found in southern Africa. They live along forest edges and are strongly attracted to rotting fruit and plant juices...
.
The name of the genus may have been taken from the girl's name
Vanessa (name)
The name Vanessa was invented by the Anglo-Irish writer Jonathan Swift for Esther Vanhomrigh, whom Swift had met in 1708 and whom he tutored. The name was created by taking "Van" from Vanhomrigh's last name and adding "Essa", the pet form of Esther. Swift may have also derived the name from the...
. Though it has been suggested the name may be a variant of "Phanessa", from an Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
word for a mystic divinity, this is unlikely. The name of the divinity is actually not "Phanessa" but Phanes
Phanes (mythology)
Phanes , or Protogonos , was the mystic primeval deity of procreation and the generation of new life, who was introduced into Greek mythology by the Orphic tradition; other names for this Classical Greek Orphic concept included Ericapaeus and Metis...
. Johan Christian Fabricius
Johan Christian Fabricius
Johan Christian Fabricius was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others...
, the entomologist who named this genus, normally used the original forms of the names of classical divinities when he created new scientific names.
In popular culture
John Shade discusses the Vanessa genus in reference to his wife in Nabokov'sVladimir Nabokov
Vladimir Vladimirovich Nabokov was a multilingual Russian novelist and short story writer. Nabokov wrote his first nine novels in Russian, then rose to international prominence as a master English prose stylist...
Pale Fire.
Species
Arranged alphabetically.- Vanessa abyssinica (C. & R. Felder, 1867) – Abyssinian Admiral
- Vanessa altissima (Rosenberg & Talbot, 1914) – Andean Lady
- Vanessa annabella (Field, 1971) – West Coast LadyWest Coast LadyThe West Coast Lady is one of three North American species of brush-footed butterflies known colloquially as the "painted ladies". V. annabella occurs throughout much of the western US and south western Canada. The other two species are the cosmopolitan Vanessa cardui and the eastern Vanessa...
- Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus, 1758) – Red Admiral
- Vanessa braziliensis (Moore, 1883) – Brazilian Lady
- Vanessa buana (FruhstorferHans FruhstorferHans Fruhstorfer was a German explorer, insect trader and entomologist who specialised in Lepidoptera. He collected and described many new species of exotic butterflies, especially in Seitz's Macrolepidoptera of the World...
, 1898) - Vanessa calliroe (HübnerJacob HübnerJacob Hübner was a German entomologist. He was the author of Sammlung Europäischer Schmetterlinge , a founding work of entomology.-Scientific career:...
, 1808) - Vanessa carduiVanessa carduiVanessa cardui is a well-known colourful butterfly, known as the Painted Lady, or in North America as the Cosmopolitan. This butterfly has a strange pattern of flying in a sort of screw shape.-Distribution:...
(Linnaeus, 1758) – (American) Painted Lady or American Lady - Vanessa carye (HübnerJacob HübnerJacob Hübner was a German entomologist. He was the author of Sammlung Europäischer Schmetterlinge , a founding work of entomology.-Scientific career:...
, [1812]) – Western Painted Lady - Vanessa dejeanii Godart, [1824]
- Vanessa dilecta Hanafusa, 1992
- Vanessa gonerilla (FabriciusJohan Christian FabriciusJohan Christian Fabricius was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others...
, 1775) – New Zealand Red AdmiralNew Zealand Red AdmiralThe New Zealand Red Admiral is a butterfly that is endemic to New Zealand. The Māori name is kahukura which means red cloak. The Red Admiral is a member of the family Nymphalidae, the sub-family Nymphalinae as well as the tribe Nymphalini.There are two sub-species of Vanessa gonerilla, V. g... - Vanessa indicaVanessa indicaVanessa indica, called the Asian Admiral in the United States and the Indian Red Admiral elsewhere, is a butterfly found in the higher altitude regions of India. It is a close relative of the Painted Lady.-Description:...
(Herbst, 1794) – Indian Red Admiral or Asian Admiral - Vanessa itea (FabriciusJohan Christian FabriciusJohan Christian Fabricius was a Danish zoologist, specialising in "Insecta", which at that time included all arthropods: insects, arachnids, crustaceans and others...
, 1775) – Australian or Yellow AdmiralYellow admiralThe Yellow or Australian Admiral is a butterfly native to Australia, New Zealand, Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands. The Māori name is kahukowhai, which means "yellow cloak"... - Vanessa kershawi (McCoy, 1868) – Australian Painted LadyAustralian painted ladyVanessa kershawi, commonly known as the Australian Painted Lady, is a butterfly that is mostly confined to Australia, although westerly winds have dispersed it to islands east of Australia, including New Zealand. During spring adult butterflies migrate south in large numbers from northern states of...
- Vanessa myrinna (Doubleday, 1849) – Banded Lady
- Vanessa samani (Hagen, 1895)
- Vanessa tameamea (Eschscholtz, 1821) – Kamehameha
- Vanessa terpsichoreVanessa terpsichoreThe Chilean Lady is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is found in Chile....
Philipi, 1859 – Chilean Lady - Vanessa virginiensis (Drury, [1773]) – American Painted LadyAmerican Painted LadyThe American Painted Lady or American Lady is a butterfly found throughout North America.Vanessa virginiensis lives in flowery habitats, usually in mountains. The larvae feed on various Asteraceae, especially the cudweeds of genus Gnaphalium...
- Vanessa vulcaniaVanessa vulcaniaThe Canary Red Admiral is a butterfly of the Nymphalidae family. It is endemic to the Canary islands, and Madeira. Previously, it was considered a subspecies of Vanessa indica, but has been raised to species level after research by Leestman in 1992.The wingspan is 54–60 mm...
(Godart, 1819) – Canary Red Admiral