Classification and Nomenclature
Information copied from Images from Nature.
All living things, whether plant or animal, can be identified uniquely by a scientific name within the standard classification system for all living things, the International Code for Zoological and Botanical Nomenclature. Scientific nomenclature provides a universal naming methodology that crosses barriers of language and interpretation. Among other things it makes it possible to in uniquely identify a species and learn about where and how it lives.
The scientific naming system that is used world-wide today was originally devised by the Swedish naturalist Linnaeus. Linnaeus proposed a two-part naming system with names derived from Latin or Greek. This works in a similar way to the naming system that we use to identify ourselves, with a Last Name (=Genus) and a First Name (=species). The Linnaeus system has since been expanded and modified as new species have been discovered and new ideas developed.
Using this system it is possible to classify any living thing using an hierarchical naming structure that progresses from the general to the specific.
| Category |
Explanation |
Butterfly Example |
Notes |
| Kingdom |
The primary classification breakdown of living things. The main Kingdoms are Plants and Animals, but there are others covering algae etc. |
Animal |
Many-celled organisms requiring food in the form of organic substances originally created by plants. |
| Phylum |
A primary division of the Animal Kingdom. E.g. Arthropoda have jointed limbs and a hard exoskeleton, Chordata have a backbone. |
Arthropoda |
Arthropods are animals with jointed limbs and a hard exoskeleton |
| Class |
Insects, Reptiles, Mammals, etc |
Insecta |
Insects |
| Order |
Dogs and cats belong to the order of carnivores |
Lepidoptera |
Butterflies, Moths and Skippers1 |
Sub-order
(or Superfamily) |
Butterflies, Skippers1 and Moths2 are sub-orders of Lepidoptera |
Papilionoidea |
Butterflies |
| Family |
Sharing basic characteristics. Lions, tigers, cheetahs, and house cats belong to the same biological family. |
Danaidae |
Predomiantly tropical and sub-tropical species, Danaidae have similar wing shapes and patterning and are slow-flying. |
| Genus |
Closely related species. Wolves and dogs are in the same genus, foxes are in the same Family but a different Genus. |
Danaus3 |
Tigers or Milkweed butterflies |
| Species |
Members of the same species have unique characteristics that they can pass on by interbreeding. Their offspring are of the same species. Members of different but closely related species, can sometimes interbreed, but their mixed-species offspring are usually infertile (e.g. horse + donkey = mule).
Species can be further divided into varieties, races, breeds, or subspecies.
|
plexippus4 |
The Monarch Butterfly |
| Common Name |
Common or Popular names are easier to understand than Scientific names, but are open to misunderstanding.
Different common names may be used in different areas for the same species, or the same common name may be used for different species in different areas.
|
Monarch Butterfly |
Also known as the Milkweed Butterfly |
1. Many books class Skippers as "primitive butterflies", but there is a growing argument that they should be considered a separate Order in their own right.
2. There are a number of Moth superfamilies, but "Moths" is usually used as a collective name.
3. Genus names are usually italicised with a capital first letter.
4. Species names are usually italicised and are all lower case.
Scientific Names and Pronunciation
by Rick Mikula
There are a few basic tips that will help you along. In scientific names all the vowels are pronounced. They can be long or short but none are silent. The accent above the vowel will tell you if it is long or short. The grave accent (`) indicates a long vowel i.e. làte, mèet and kìte. The acute accent (´) signifies the short vowels pronounced as cút, bát, or tót.
When two vowels are written together, but pronounced as one, they form what is called a diphthong. All Lepidoptera family and subfamily names end in the most common of all diphthongs, ae. It is pronounced as è or ee.
With consonants the letters C and G are the problems. When C is followed by ae, e, oe, i, or y it has a soft ‘S’ sound. When the letter C is followed by a, h, o, oi, or u it then takes on the hard sound of ‘K’ When the letter G is followed by ae, e, oe, i, or y it is a soft ‘J’ sound, but when followed by a, o, oi, or u it it pronounced hard as in go.
-------------------------------------------------------
Milkweed - Danàidae - dah-này-ah-dee
Swallowtails - Papiliónidae - pap-ill-ee-ón-ah-dee
Brush-Footed - Nymphálidae - nim-fál-ah-dee
Longwings - Heliconìidae - Hel-ah-cone-eyè-ah-dee
Whites & Sulphurs - Piéridae - pee-áir-ah-dee
Satyrs - Satýridae- sa-téar-ah-dee
Snout - Libythèdae - libby-thèe-ah-dee
Gossamer Wings - Lycaènidae - lie-sèen-ah-dee
Skippers - Hesperìidae - hes-per-eyè-ah-dee
Moths
Sphinx or Hawk - Sphíngidae - sfén-jah-dee
Silk & Royal - Saturnìidae -sat-uhr-nyè-ah-dee
Tigers - Arctìidae - ark-tìe-ah-dee
Tent caterpillars - Lasiocámpidae - lass-ee-oh-cámp-ah-dee
-----------------------------
List of English Names for (MORE COMMON) North American Butterflies
Pipevine Swallowtail- Battus philenor_
Polydamas Swallowtail- Battus polydamas_
Zebra Swallowtail- Eurytides marcellus_
Black Swallowtail- Papilio polyxenes_
Anise Swallowtail- Papilio zelicaon_
Giant Swallowtail- Papilio cresphontes
Schaus' Swallowtail- Papilio aristodemus_
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail- Papilio glaucus_
Canadian Tiger Swallowtail- Papilio canadensis_
Western Tiger Swallowtail- Papilio rutulus_
Two-tailed Swallowtail- Papilio multicaudata_
Spicebush Swallowtail- Papilio troilus_
Palamedes Swallowtail- Papilio palamedes_
Checkered White- Pontia protodice_
Cabbage White- Pieris rapae_
Great Southern White- Ascia monuste_
Clouded Sulphur- Colias philodice_
Orange Sulphur- Colias eurytheme_
Western Sulphur- Colias occidentalis_
Giant Sulphur- Colias gigantea_
California Dogface- Colias eurydice_
Southern Dogface- Colias cesonia_
Cloudless Sulphur- Phoebis sennae_
Orange-barred Sulphur- Phoebis philea_
Large Orange Sulphur- Phoebis agarithe_
Sleepy Orange- Eurema nicippe_
Variegated Fritillary- Euptoieta claudia_
Great Spangled Fritillary- Speyeria cybele_
Aphrodite Fritillary- Speyeris aphrodite_
Regal Fritillary- Speyeria idalia_
Baltimore Checkerspot- Euphydryas phaeton_
Question Mark- Polygonia interrogationis_
Eastern Comma- Polygonia comma_
Compton Tortoiseshell- Nymphalis vau-album_
California Tortoiseshell- Nymphalis californica_
Mourning Cloak- Nymphalis antiopa_
Milbert's Tortoiseshell- Nymphalis milberti_
American Lady- Vanessa virginiensis_
Painted Lady- Vanessa cardui_
West Coast Lady- Vanessa annabella_
Red Admiral- Vanessa atalanta_
Common Buckeye- Junonia coenia_
White Peacock- Anartia jatrophae_
Malachite- Siproeta stelenes
Red-spotted Purple- Limenitis arthemis_
White Admiral- L. arthemis arthemis_
Red-spotted Purple- L. arthemis astyanax_
Viceroy- Limenitis archippus_
Monarch- Danaus plexippus_
Queen- Danaus gilippus_
Soldier- Danaus eresimus_
Gulf Fritillary- Agraulis vanillae_
Julia- Dryas iulia_
Zebra longwing- Heliconius charitonius_
Silver-spotted Skipper- Epargyreus clarus_
Long-tailed Skipper- Urbanus proteus_
Ruddy Daggerwing- Marpesia petreus_
Hackberry Emperor- Asterocampa celtis_
Tawny Emperor- Asterocampa clyton_
Harvester- Feniseca tarquinius_
Bog Copper- Lycaena epixanthe_
Home Page
