Pyrrhopyge
Introduction '''''Pyrrhopyge''''' is a Neotropical genus of firetips in the family Hesperiidae. ''Pyrrhopyge'' in Adalbert Seitz's ''Macrolepidoptera of the World''This genus comprises very numerous, partly extremely similar species which are difficult to separate and perhaps neither are separable as distinct species. Nearly all are large, strong animals with black body and wings, often with a bronze-green or deep blue lustre, often spotted red on the head and abdomen. On the broad, mostly pointed forewings the discoidal runs very obliquely, the upper median vein rising somewhat behind the middle of the cell. On the hindwing the lower radial and upper median vein rise unpetioled, the middle radial being absent. The hind tibiae are strongly haired outside. The ''Pyrrhopyge'', according to statements by Adalbert Seitz, are conspicuous animals owing to their almost invariably one-coloured black colouring and the mostly glaring-red ends of their bodies. When they fly past swiftly, these red places are difficult to notice for the human eye, but the resting insect makes the impression as if its body were bleeding in front and behind. As the flight is impetuously swift, the animal escaping its enemies scarcely needs any protection, whereas on the topmost branches of bushes of 1 or 2 metres height, which are chosen by the males as their point of observation, one of the most dangerous enemies of the tropical butterflies is lying in ambush, the praying-cricket which even catches butterflies of the size of strong ''Papilio'' with a sure dart and is able to devour several large specimens a day. In the waiting attitude taken up by the ''Pyrrhopyge'' on the tip of the twig, the forewings are half erected, the hindwings somewhat more lowered; a position sometimes met with in European ''Adopaea'' or ''Pamphila'', whereas other Pyrrhopyginae, such as the blue-striped ''Jemadia'', the ''Mimoniades'', ''Myscelus'' etc. keep their wings spread out when at rest, about like ''Thanaos tages''. The larvae of ''Pyrrhopyge'', as far as we know, are thinly haired on the body, shaggily on the head, brown or reddish with yellow, zebra-like stripes. They live on different trees, so on guava pear-trees (''Psidium pyriferum'' and ''pomiferum''), in leaf-cases. The pupae are haired, too. The imagines fly along the roads and skirts of woods in a raving, somewhat skipping flight and are fond of drinking from wet places on the roads. The ''Jemadia'' and ''Mimoniades'' love the umbels of blossoming bushes, where they are met with in the company of similarly coloured hesperids from other groups, such as ''Phocides'' and ''Pyrrhopygopsis''.
Species *''Pyrrhopyge zenodorus'' Godman & Salvin, 1893 – red-headed firetip – southeast Mexico to Costa Rica*''Pyrrhopyge evansi'' E. Bell, 1947 – Evans' firetip – type locality Colombia**''Pyrrhopyge evansi evansi'' E. Bell, 1947 Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, French Guiana, Ecuador**''Pyrrhopyge evansi borburata'' Orellana, 2010 Venezuela*''Pyrrhopyge phidias'' (Linnaeus, 1758) – original firetip – type locality "Asia"**''Pyrrhopyge phidias phidias'' (Linnaeus, 1758) Trinidad, Suriname, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge phidias hyperici'' Hübner, 1823 Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge phidias latifasciata'' A. Butler, 1873 Colombia**''Pyrrhopyge phidias bixae'' (Linnaeus, 1758) Suriname, French Guiana, north Brazil to Matto Grosso**''Pyrrhopyge phidias rusca'' Evans, 1951 Ecuador, Peru, southwest Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge phidias leucoloma'' Erschoff, 1875 Peru, Bolivia**''Pyrrhopyge phidias garata'' Hewitson, 1866 Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela? **''Pyrrhopyge phidias guianae'' E. Bell, 1932 Trinidad, Guyana, French Guiana*''Pyrrhopyge aziza'' Hewitson, 1866 – aziza firetip – type locality Colombia**''Pyrrhopyge aziza aziza'' Hewitson, 1866 Colombia**''Pyrrhopyge aziza lexos'' Evans, 1951 Guyana, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru**''Pyrrhopyge aziza araethyrea'' Hewitson, 1870 Ecuador**''Pyrrhopyge aziza troja'' Evans, 1951 Peru, Bolivia**''Pyrrhopyge aziza arbor'' Evans, 1951 Colombia, Venezuela**''Pyrrhopyge aziza attis'' E. Bell, 1931 Bolivia**''Pyrrhopyge aziza subnubilus'' Hayward, 1935 Argentina*''Pyrrhopyge pusca'' Evans, 1951 – Pusca firetip – Peru, Bolivia*''Pyrrhopyge proculus'' Hopffer, 1874 – Proculus firetip – type locality Guyana**''Pyrrhopyge proculus proculus'' Hopffer, 1874 Trinidad, Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, north Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge proculus lina'' E. Bell, 1947 north Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge proculus cardus'' Mabille, 1891 north Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge proculus hyleus'' Mabille, 1891 north Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge proculus cintra'' Evans, 1951 French Guiana, Suriname, Guyana, north Brazil, northeast Peru**''Pyrrhopyge proculus draudti'' E. Bell, 1931 Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia*''Pyrrhopyge infantilis'' H. Druce, 1908 – infant firetip – type locality Peru**''Pyrrhopyge infantilis infantilis'' H. Druce, 1908 Peru, Bolivia**''Pyrrhopyge infantilis agala'' Evans, 1951 Bolivia*''Pyrrhopyge thericles'' Mabille, 1891 – impostor firetip – type locality Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge thericles thericles'' Mabille, 1891 northeast Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge thericles orientis'' E. Bell, 1947 north Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge thericles ponicia'' Evans, 1951 French Guiana, Suriname, north Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge thericles pseudophidias'' E. Bell, 1931 Costa Rica, Panama, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, north Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge thericles raymondi'' Orellana, 2010 Venezuela**''Pyrrhopyge thericles fola'' Evans, 1951 Colombia, southwest Venezuela**''Pyrrhopyge thericles rileyi'' E. Bell, 1931 Ecuador, Bolivia**''Pyrrhopyge thericles grinda'' Evans, 1953 Guyana**''Pyrrhopyge thericles ronda'' Evans, 1953 Trinidad*''Pyrrhopyge amythaon'' E. Bell, 1931 – Amythaon firetip – type locality Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge amythaon amythaon'' E. Bell, 1931 Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge amythaon gradens'' Evans, 1951 north Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge amythaon peron'' E. Bell, 1947 Venezuela, Colombia, northeast Peru**''Pyrrhopyge amythaon polka'' Evans, 1951 French Guiana**''Pyrrhopyge amythaon perula'' Evans, 1951 Peru, Bolivia**''Pyrrhopyge amythaon orino'' Evans, 1951 Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana**''Pyrrhopyge amythaon pollio'' Evans, 1951 Peru**''Pyrrhopyge amythaon podina'' Evans, 1951 Peru, Bolivia*''Pyrrhopyge sergius'' Hopffer, 1874 – Sergius firetip – type locality Peru**''Pyrrhopyge sergius sergius'' Hopffer, 1874 Peru**''Pyrrhopyge sergius selina'' Evans, 1951 Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge sergius andros'' Evans, 1951 Colombia, Venezuela (Amazonas)**''Pyrrhopyge sergius andronicus'' E. Bell, 1931 Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia**''Pyrrhopyge sergius semana'' Evans, 1951 Suriname, French Guiana**''Pyrrhopyge sergius ganus'' E. Bell, 1947 Guyana, Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Brazil? **''Pyrrhopyge sergius josephina'' Draudt, 1921 Peru, Bolivia*''Pyrrhopyge caribe'' Orellana, 2010 – Caribbean firetip – type locality Venezuela**''Pyrrhopyge caribe caribe'' Orellana, 2010 Venezuela**''Pyrrhopyge caribe camachoi'' Orellana, 2010 Venezuela*''Pyrrhopyge erazoae'' Orellana, 2010 – Erazo's firetip – Venezuela*''Pyrrhopyge charybdis'' Westwood, 1852 – Charybdis firetip – type locality Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge charybdis charybdis'' Westwood, 1852 south Brazil**''Pyrrhopyge charybdis semita'' Evans, 1951 Bolivia, south Brazil*''Pyrrhopyge cressoni'' E. Bell, 1932 – Cresson's firetip – Ecuador, Bolivia*''Pyrrhopyge pelota'' Plötz, 1879 – pelota firetip – Bolivia, Paraguay, south Brazil*''Pyrrhopyge amyclas'' (Cramer, 1779) – yellow-edged firetip – type locality Suriname**''Pyrrhopyge amyclas amyclas'' (Cramer, 1779) Trinidad, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil*''Pyrrhopyge phylleia'' Hewitson, 1874 – orange-edged firetip – type locality Bolivia**''Pyrrhopyge phylleia phylleia'' Hewitson, 1874 south Peru, Bolivia**''Pyrrhopyge phylleia delos'' Evans, 1951*''Pyrrhopyge arax'' Evans, 1951 – Arax firetip – south east Peru, Bolivia*''Pyrrhopyge haemon'' Godman & Salvin, 1893 – tawny-rimmed firetip – Costa Rica*''Pyrrhopyge punctata'' Röber, 1925 – Songo firetip – Bolivia*''Pyrrhopyge papius'' Hopffer, 1874 – papius firetip – type locality Colombia; Bolivia**''Pyrrhopyge papius papius'' Hopffer, 1874 Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru**''Pyrrhopyge papius pasca'' Evans, 1951 Colombia*''Pyrrhopyge frona'' Evans, 1951 – Inca firetip – Peru*''Pyrrhopyge melanomerus'' Mabille & Boullet, 1908 – melanomerus firetip – type locality Bolivia**''Pyrrhopyge melanomerus melanomerus'' Mabille & Boullet, 1908 Peru, Bolivia**''Pyrrhopyge melanomerus patma'' Evans, 1951 south Ecuador, northeast Peru*''Pyrrhopyge decipiens'' Mabille, 1903 – red-spotted firetip – Ecuador?, Peru, Bolivia*''Pyrrhopyge placeta'' Evans, 1951 – placeta firetip – Brazil*''Pyrrhopyge hadassa'' Hewitson, 1866 – Hadassa firetip – type locality Ecuador**''Pyrrhopyge hadassa hadassa'' Hewitson, 1866 Colombia, Ecuador, Peru**''Pyrrhopyge hadassa henna'' Evans, 1951 Peru**''Pyrrhopyge hadassa hanga'' Evans, 1951 Peru**''Pyrrhopyge hadassa pseudohadassa'' Mabille & Boullet, 1908 Peru**''Pyrrhopyge hadassa halma'' Evans, 1951 Peru, Bolivia*''Pyrrhopyge terra'' Evans, 1951 – terra firetip – Bolivia*''Pyrrhopyge telassina'' Staudinger, 1888 – telassina firetip – type locality Peru; Bolivia**''Pyrrhopyge telassina telassina'' Staudinger, 1888 Peru**''Pyrrhopyge telassina tagra'' Evans, 1951 Peru**''Pyrrhopyge telassina shiva'' Evans, 1951 southeast Peru, Bolivia*''Pyrrhopyge telassa'' Hewitson, 1866 – telassa firetip – type locality Ecuador**''Pyrrhopyge telassa telassa'' Hewitson, 1866 Ecuador**''Pyrrhopyge telassa phaeax'' Hopffer, 1874 Peru**''Pyrrhopyge telassa silex'' Evans, 1951 Peru**''Pyrrhopyge telassa croceimargo'' Mabille & Boullet, 1908 south Peru, Bolivia*''Pyrrhopyge martena'' Hewitson, 1869 – Martena firetip – Ecuador*''Pyrrhopyge schausi'' E. Bell, 1931 – Schaus' firetip – Colombia, Ecuador, north Peru*''Pyrrhopyge sadia'' Evans, 1951 – Sadia firetip – Ecuador, Peru*''Pyrrhopyge creona'' H. Druce, 1874 – creona firetip – Peru, Brazil (Amazonas)*''Pyrrhopyge kelita'' Hewitson, 1869 – streaked firetip – southeast Peru, Bolivia*''Pyrrhopyge crista'' Evans, 1951 – Crista firetip – Bolivia*''Pyrrhopyge crida'' Hewitson, 1871 – white-banded firetip – south east Mexico to Colombia and Ecuador*''Pyrrhopyge mopsus'' (E. Bell, 1931) – Mopsus firetip – Peru*''Pyrrhopyge sarpedon'' (E. Bell, 1931) – Sarpedon firetip – Peru (Amazonas)*''Pyrrhopyge arinas'' (Cramer, 1777) – Arinas firetip – type locality Suriname**''Pyrrhopyge arinas arinas'' (Cramer, 1777) French Guiana, Suriname, north Brazil, northeast Peru**''Pyrrhopyge arinas temenos'' (E. Bell, 1931) Peru*''Pyrrhopyge creusae'' (E. Bell, 1931) – Creusae firetip – French Guiana*''Pyrrhopyge tatei'' (E. Bell, 1932) – Tate's firetip – Venezuela*''Pyrrhopyge boulleti'' Le Cerf, 1922 – Boullet's firetip – Colombia, Venezuela
References * Natural History Museum Lepidoptera genus database*Evans (1951) A Catalogue of the American Hesperiidae indicating the classification and nomenclature adopted in the British Museum (Natural History). Part 1: Introduction and Group A Pyrrhopyginae. Trustees of the British Museum. London. x+92 pp, 9 plates
External links * images representing Pyrrhopyge at Consortium for the Barcode of Life