Thereus

{{Short description|Butterfly genus in family Lycaenidae}} {{Distinguish|32532 Thereus}} {{Automatic taxobox | image = CramerAndStoll-uitlandsche kapellen vol. 4- pl 379, Thereus lausus.jpg | image_caption = Imago of type species ''T. lausus'' | taxon = Thereus | authority = Hübner, [1819] | type_species = ''Papilio lausus'' | type_species_authority = Cramer, [1779] | diversity_link = #Species | diversity = Some 20 described species, but see text | synonyms = {{hidden begin|title = List}} * ''Molus'' Hübner, [1819] * ''Noreena'' K.Johnson{{verify source|date=April 2012}}, MacPherson & Ingraham, 1986 * ''Pedusa'' D'Abrera, 2001 * ''Solanorum'' Johnson, 1992 * ''Timokla'' Johnson{{verify source|date=April 2012}}, Kruse & Kroenlein, 1997 {{hidden end}} | synonyms_ref = <ref name = seesavela /> }}

'''''Thereus''''' is a genus of gossamer-winged butterflies (family Lycaenidae). Among these, it belongs to the tribe Eumaeini of the subfamily Theclinae. These small butterflies occur essentially all over the Neotropics.<ref name = seesavela>See references in Savela (2011)</ref>

==Taxonomy== Though this genus was first proposed long ago, for much of the time ''Thereus'' was included in the "wastebin genus" ''Thecla''. However, the two genera are not particularly close relatives among their subfamily. In recent times, it has been proposed to remove several species from ''Thereus'' to smaller or even monotypic genera. While this might be warranted in some cases, it is not followed here pending more thorough study.<ref name = seesavela />

===Species=== The following named species are placed in ''Thereus'' at present:<ref name = seesavela /> {{div col}} * ''Thereus brocki'' Robbins, Heredia & Busby, 2015 * ''Thereus caltha'' (Druce, 1907) * ''Thereus cithonius'' (Godart, [1824]) (type species of ''Noreena'') * ''Thereus columbicola'' (Strand, 1916) * ''Thereus endera'' (Hewitson, 1867) * ''Thereus enenia'' (Hewitson, 1867) (tentatively placed here) * ''Thereus eryssus'' (Herbst, 1800) * ''Thereus gabathana'' (Strand, 1918) * ''Thereus genena'' (Hewitson, 1867) * ''Thereus guianivaga'' (Johnson, 1989) * ''Thereus illex'' (Schaus, 1902) * ''Thereus ismarus'' (Cramer, [1777]) (type species of ''Molus'') * ''Thereus lausus'' (Cramer, [1779]) * ''Thereus lomalarga'' Robbins, Heredia & Busby, 2015 * ''Thereus lutzi'' (Huntington, 1932) * ''Thereus molena'' (E. D. Jones, 1912) * ''Thereus oppia'' (Godman & Salvin, [1887]) * ''Thereus orasus'' (Godman & Salvin, [1887]) * ''Thereus ortalus'' (Godman & Salvin, [1887]) * ''Thereus pedusa'' (Hewitson, 1867) (type species of ''"Pedusa"'') * ''Thereus praxis'' (Godman & Salvin, [1887]) * ''Thereus pseudarcula'' (Giacomelli, 1914) (type species of ''Solanorum'') * ''Thereus tiasa'' (Hewitson, 1869) * ''Thereus timoclea'' (Hewitson, 1870) * ''Thereus wojtusiaki'' Bálint, 2006 {{div col end}}

In addition, a number of as yet undescribed butterflies are suspected to belong here too:<ref name = seesavela /> * ''Thereus'' sp. 'Amazonia' * ''Thereus'' sp. 'Bahia' * ''Thereus'' sp. 'Guatemala' * ''Thereus'' sp. 'Ecuador 1' * ''Thereus'' sp. 'Ecuador 2' * ''Thereus'' sp. 'Panama 1' * ''Thereus'' sp. 'Panama 2' * ''?Thereus'' sp. 'Panama 3' (tentatively placed here) * ''Thereus'' sp. 'Peru'

==Footnotes== {{Reflist}}

==References== {{Commons category}}  *{{cite web |last=Savela |first=Markku |url=https://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/lycaenidae/theclinae/thereus/ |title=''Thereus'' Hübner, [1819] |website=Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms |accessdate=September 30, 2019}}

Category:Thereus Category:Eumaeini Category:Lycaenidae of South America Category:Lycaenidae genera Category:Taxa named by Jacob Hübner