Morphinae is a subfamily of Nymphalidae

Nymphalidae

The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...

 butterflies that includes the morphos

Morpho (butterfly)

A Morpho butterfly may be one of over 80 species of butterflies in the genus Morpho. They are Neotropical butterflies found mostly in South America as well as Mexico and Central America. Morphos range in wingspan from the 7.5 cm M. rhodopteron to the imposing 20 cm Sunset Morpho, M....

, the owl butterflies (Caligo) and related lineages. It is either considered a sister group of the Satyrinae

Satyrinae

Satyrinae, the satyrines or satyrids, commonly known as the Browns, is a subfamily of the Nymphalidae . They were formerly considered a distinct family, Satyridae. This group contains nearly half of the known diversity of brush-footed butterflies...

, or disassembled and included therein.

Systematics

This group is the subject of intense study and the following classification is subject to modification:

Morphini:

• Antirrhea
• Caerois
• Morpho
  Morpho (butterfly)
  A Morpho butterfly may be one of over 80 species of butterflies in the genus Morpho. They are Neotropical butterflies found mostly in South America as well as Mexico and Central America. Morphos range in wingspan from the 7.5 cm M. rhodopteron to the imposing 20 cm Sunset Morpho, M....
  
  

This group sometimes includes the monotypic

Monotypic

In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group with only one biological type. The term's usage differs slightly between botany and zoology. The term monotypic has a separate use in conservation biology, monotypic habitat, regarding species habitat conversion eliminating biodiversity and...

 tribe Biini, otherwise placed in the Brassolini.

Amathusiini

Amathusiini

Amathusiini is a tribe of the nymphalid butterfly subfamily Morphinae. They are large butterflies. They are sometimes treated as a distinct subfamily Amathusiinae.- Genera and selected species:* Aemona** Aemona amathusia – Yellow Dryad...

 (sometimes considered a distinct subfamily Amathusiinae)

• 15 genera (see subfamily article)

Brassolini

Brassolini

Brassolini is a tribe usually placed in the brush-footed butterfly subfamily Morphinae, which is often included in the Satyrinae as a tribe Morphini. If this is accepted, the Brassolini become the sister tribe of the Morphini among the Satyrinae. Formerly, they were treated as an independent family...

(previously considered a distinct subfamily Brassolinae)

• 18-19 genera, see subfamily article

External links

• nearctica.com: Checklist of Nearctic Nymphalidae. Retrieved 2007-JUN-05.
• Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and some other life forms: Morphinae. Version of 2007-MAR-27. Retrieved 2007-JUN-05.
• TOL Note that here the tribes of Morphinae are now tribes of Satyrinae
• Neotropical Butterflies Brassolini are treated (ranked) as a subfamily Morphinae