THE EGGS OF EUROPEAN SATYRINE BUTTERFLIES (NYMPHALIDAE) - EXTERNAL MORPHOLOGY AND ITS USE IN SYSTEMATICS

A comparative study of the external chorion morphology of West-Palaear ctic satyrine butterflies is attempted, based on descriptions of 38 sp ecies and a survey of previously published data. The correlations betw een selected characters, the results of phylogenetic analysis based on egg characters, and their congruence with the current taxonomy of the se butterflies, are tested, in order to estimate the potential use of egg characters in systematic studies. A relatively high number of char acters may be derived from the outer chorion morphology, although deci sions on homology may require detailed knowledge of the fine structure of chorion. There is evidence for correlation between some quantitati ve traits, like egg size and number of micropyles, which might in turn depend on adult size. Egg morphology can sometimes be interpreted in terms of ecological adaptations, and hence provides information that s hould be used in systematics. Evidence from satyrine butterflies sugge sts that the external chorionic features are highly homoplasious, and probably more useful at low than at high taxonomic levels within Satyr inae.