Tamil Bushbrown

Mycalesis subdita Moore, 1892 

Malayalam Name	:	ഇളംതവിടൻ
Common Name	;	Tamil Bushbrown
Order	:	Lepidoptera
Super Family	:	Papilionoidae (Butterflies)
Family	:	Nympalidae
Sub Family	:	Satyrinae

DISTRIBUTION : Species found in South India and Sri Lanka

STATUS: 

HABITAT : Deciduous Forests and Bamboo Breaks

HABITS

IDENTIFICATION  FEATURES: 

Male and Female slightly different. Wet and Dry forms present.Wingspan 45-65 mm

 Wet-Season Brood: 

 Upperside dark olivescent ochreous-brown, with a very faint pale transverse discal narrow fascia, and distinctly paler marginal lines; both most apparent in the female. Cilia cinereous-ochreous. Forewing with a large prominent median ocellus. Hind-wing with one, occasionally two, small slightly defined median ocelli.

Underside dark greyish ochreous-brown or fuliginous-brown; with a well-defined whitish transverse discal band, and marginal ochreous lines. Forewing with one small subapical ocellus and two conjoined lower median ocelli, the latter pair being disposed one between the middle and lower medians (which is the largest) and the other between the lower median and the submedian vein; the lowest ocellus, i.e., that between the median and submedian, being small and always present in both selves; both the upper and lower series are separately encircled by a pale greyish-white outer line. In some specimens, but rarely, there is a minute more or less complete contiguous ocellus between the middle and upper medians, and encircled within the pale outer line of the lower series. Again, rarely also a specimen of the female ocours, in which there is an additional upper minute ocellus (making six) disposed above the upper radial veinlet.

Hindwing with seven prominent black ocelli, encompassed by a greyish-white wavy outer line. Male, on the underside of the forewing, with an elongated glandular patch of ochreous yellow scales upon the submedian vein extending from its middle to the discal pale band; and on the hindwing, above, with a subbasal tuft of pale hairs exserted or overlapping a glandular patch of ochreous yellow scales.

Dry-Season Brood:

Upperside similar to the wet-season brood. Underside paler in colour, either of a greyish or ochreous brown; the transverse discal whitish line very narrow, but distinct; the ordinary subbasal transverse wavy line generally apparent. Forewing with five very small ocelli disposed as in the ocellated brood, those of the female minute or anteriorly represented by white dots, the lowest one situated between the lower median and submedian vein being always present or indicated in both sexes. Hindwing with the ocelli also minute or anteriorly indicated by a white dot. Male with fin elongated glandular patch of yelloiv scales on underside of the forewing, and a yellow patch overlapped by the subcostal tuft on upperside of the hindwing.

Hindwing: subbasal and discal narrow transverse lilac bands, the former sinuous, the latter angulated on vein 4, and an arched postdiscal series of black fulvous-ringed ocelli, some with disintegrate centres; the wing medially suffused with lilac, the ocelli with lilacine lunules on both sides. Forewings and hindwings with slender lilacine subterminal and broader ochraceous terminal lines.

SIMILAR SPECIES : 

Closely resembles in both seasonal forms Mycalesis mineus (Dark Branded Bush Brown), 

LARVAL HOST PLANTS

Oplismenus compositus (Poaceae).

 LIFE CYCLE

MORE IMAGES

dry form

dry form

wet form

Courtesy 

Write up:Wikipaedia

Images: TNHS

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