In flight, many of these butterflies have the habit of flapping their wings, so the (usually) bright upperside and the cryptic underside alternate for the observer, then gliding for prolonged distances, with the motionless wings held outstretched. The common names of some Limenitidinae – "aeroplanes", "clippers", or "gliders" – refer to this flight pattern.
Systematics
The Biblidinae are sometimes merged here. The present subfamily is also sometimes included as a tribeLimenitidini in the Nymphalinae. But in fact, their closest living relatives seem to be the Heliconiinae.[1]
The Limenitidinae are traditionally divided into four tribes, of which the Parthenini are the most basal lineage and the others form a close-knit and more apomorphic radiation. While this basic layout is likely to be fairly correct, a few genera cannot be easily assigned to the three "modern" tribes and seem to be somewhat intermediate. In particular, the delimitation of the Limenitidini versus the Neptini is in need of more study.[2]
Genera and selected species
The genera of Limenitidinae, sorted per tribe in the presumed phylogenetic sequence and with some species also listed, are:[2]
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