Butterflies of
Africa
Funereal
Bush Brown
Bicyclus
funebris
GUÉRIN-MÉNEVILLE, 1844
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
SATYRINAE
Tribe - SATYRINI
Bicyclus funebris, Bobiri forest,
Ghana
Introduction
Bicyclus is the most numerous of the Satyrine
genera in Africa, comprising of about 85 species, 50 of which occur in West
Africa. The butterflies are collectively known as Bush Browns, and can be
thought of as the sister genus to the Asian Mycalesis.
Bicyclus
are characterised by having a regular series of submarginal ocelli on the
hindwings, and a pair of ocelli on the forewings, of which the lower ocellus is
always the largest. In most species the ocelli are very prominent, but in a few
species such as sweadneri they are vestigial,
especially in the dry season morph. Most species have very rounded wings, but
again there are a few exceptions such as zinebi
which has a squarish apex on its forewings, and sambulos
which has a stumpy "tail" on the hindwings.
Bicyclus
funebris is found from Gambia and Senegal to Cameroon, and south to
Zambia, Uganda and western Tanzania.
Habitats
This species is essentially a forest insect, preferring the drier and more open
woodlands. It also occurs in dense thickets in savannah country, and in riparian
forest.
Lifecycle
The larval foodplants include
Setaria, Digitaria,
Imperata and various other grasses.
Adult behaviour
The butterflies fly mainly on sunny mornings, in clearings, glades
and along logging roads. They have a slow lazy floppy flight, and
settle frequently to rest on low herbage, often in the shade.
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