Melanis pixe

Life-forms

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: ParaHoxozoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Cladus: Pancrustacea
Cladus: Allotriocarida
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Holometabola
Superordo: Panorpida
Cladus: Amphiesmenoptera
Ordo: Lepidoptera
Subordo: Glossata
Cladus: Coelolepida
Cladus: Myoglossata
Cladus: Neolepidoptera
Infraordo: Heteroneura
Cladus: Eulepidoptera
Cladus: Ditrysia
Cladus: Apoditrysia
Cladus: Obtectomera
Superfamilia: Papilionoidea

Familia: Riodinidae
Subfamilia: Riodininae
Tribus: Riodinini
Genus: Melanis
Species: Melanis pixe
Subspecies: M. p. corvina – M. p. pixe – M. p. pseudoalena – M. p. sanguinea
Name

Melanis pixe (Boisduval, [1836])
Synonymy

Limnas pixe Boisduval, [1836]
Melanis pixe (Boisduval, 1836):
Lymnas gynaeceas Godman & Salvin, 1889 (synonymized by Lamas, 2004: 640a).
Type locality: Mexico, Veracruz.

References
Primary referencesAdditional references

Vargas, J.I. 2017. New species and subspecies of Colombian Riodinidae and description of Alethea, new genus of the tribe Symmachini Bates, 1859 (Lepidoptera). Boletín Científico Centro de Museos Museo de Historia natural 21(1): 199–216. Reference page.

Melanis pixe, the red-bordered pixie, is a species in the butterfly family Riodinidae. It was described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1836.
Description

Melanis pixe has a wingspan of about 40 millimetres (1.6 in). The upperside of the wings is black. The tip of forewing is yellow orange and the base has a red spot. The hindwing outer margin has a band of red spots. Eggs are laid in groups of 10 to 30 on the host tree leaves, stems, or bark and the caterpillars feed on the leaves.[1]
Distribution and habitat

This species is found in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of South Texas south to Costa Rica.
Biology

The larvae feed on Albizia caribea, Inga species and Pithecellobium species (including Pithecellobium dulce).
Subspecies
pixe Mexico sanguinea (Stichel, 1910) Costa Rica - Panama