Butterflies of
Thailand, Malaysia &
Borneo
Forest Bush Brown
Mycalesis orseis
HEWITSON, 1864
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
SATYRINAE
Tribe -
MYCALESINA
introduction
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habitats |
lifecycle |
adult behaviour
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Mycalesis orseis nautilus,
Taman Negara,
West Malaysia |
Introduction
Mycalesis is one of the largest
Satyrine genera, comprising of 88 known species, of which 2 have
yet to be given scientific names. The genus is confined to the
Oriental and Australian regions.
The butterflies
are instantly recognisable as a group, all being some shade of
brown on both wing surfaces, and marked with a series of
conspicuous ocelli, and a single straight median line across the
underside of both wings. Many of the species are very similar,
but can usually be distinguished from each other by close
examination of the configuration of the ocelli and submarginal
lines.
Mycalesis orseis is found in India,
Myanmar, Thailand, West Malaysia, Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak,
Brunei, Kalimantan, Sumatra and Palawan ( Philippines ).
The butterfly
is quite easy to distinguish from other
Mycalesis species due to the yellow-ringed and evenly
sized ocelli, pale yellowish serrated submarginal line, and the
faint hint of purple in the white median band.
Habitats
This species is found in open areas of primary rainforest,
mainly along the narrow forest trails, at elevations between sea
level and about 200 metres.
Lifecycle
The lifecycle
does not appear to be recorded, but it can be assumed that the
egg will be spherical, white or yellowish in colour and glossy.
The larva is likely to be greenish or brownish in colour, with a
dark head which bears a pair of short horns. It will feed
nocturnally on either grasses, sedges or bamboos. The pupa will
be of the usual plump Satyrine shape, probably pale green, and
unmarked except for minor striations or dots. It will probably
be suspended from a stem or the underside of a leaf in the
vicinity of the foodplants.
Adult behaviour
The butterflies tend to be found along narrow trails at spots
where dappled sunlight penetrates to ground level. They fly
infrequently and always keep low to the ground, settling on dead
leaf litter rather than living foliage.
The flight is slow, bobbing and erratic, as is typical of
Satyrines. I have not observed nectaring or mud-puddling in this
species.
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