Dingy bushbrown (Mycalesis perseus) is a species of butterfly belonging to the family Nymphalidae. It is a solitary insect—rarely found in large groups—with an adult wingspan of 35–45 mm. The wings are dark brown and feature a pattern of circular, decorative markings along the margins. This species inhabits primary forests, secondary forests, and agricultural lands.
M. perseus has brown eyes and brown palpi, the latter accented with white along the sides. Its antennae and body (thorax and abdomen) are also brown.
The dorsal surfaces of the forewings and hindwings range from dark to somewhat pale brown. A white line extends from the tornus of the hindwing, running along the termen toward the apex. The ventral surfaces of the wings are similar in coloration to the dorsal sides.
This species occupies a variety of habitats—including primary forests, open woodlands, plantations, agricultural areas, and savannas—provided there is an undergrowth of shrubs and low-lying vegetation, at elevations ranging from 0 to 1,000 meters. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of host plants and are known to forcefully eject their frass (droppings). When not feeding, they typically rest in an extended position on the underside of a leaf.
Eggs are laid singly on the underside of blades of grass. Each egg is a flattened ellipsoid, measuring 1.1 mm in diameter and 1 mm in height, and is pale, translucent green. While the surface appears smooth to the naked eye, a polygonal reticular pattern becomes visible when viewed through a macro lens.
The eggs hatch in three days. Upon hatching, the caterpillar gnaws through a portion of the eggshell to emerge, then consumes nearly the entire remainder of the shell. The caterpillar’s body is cylindrical and whitish, measuring 3.2 mm in length at the time of hatching. It is covered in rows of whitish setae along its dorso-lateral and lateral sides, and the posterior end features a pair of rearward-pointing projections. The dark-colored head is equipped with a number of setae, a pair of short, rounded horns, and several lateral projections.
1st instar: The body has a greenish hue and gradually elongates. This stage lasts 2.5–3 days, with a length of 6–6.5 mm.
2nd instar: The horns on the head become more pointed, and two projections near the anal end grow longer. The conical projections on the sides of the head capsule become smaller and whitish in color. The body is yellowish-green. Both the head and body are adorned with numerous tubercles, each bearing a single seta. This stage lasts 2.5–3 days, with a length of 10–10.5 mm.
3rd instar: The head capsule is reddish-brown on the horns and the area around the mouthparts, while the rest is yellowish-brown. This stage lasts 2.5–3 days, with a length of 14.5–15 mm.
4th instar: There are no significant changes to physical features or markings. This stage lasts 4 days, with a length of 20–22 mm.
5th instar: The caterpillar appears in two color forms: a pale brown form and a pale yellowish-green form. This stage lasts 6 days, with a length of 40–41 mm.
The caterpillar seeks a spot on the underside of a leaf to construct a silk pad. It then anchors itself using its anal end and assumes an inverted position in preparation for pupation.
The pupa has a smooth surface and is predominantly green, with numerous small, scattered whitish spots. Its shape is somewhat angular, featuring a small ridge (keel) on the dorsal side of the thorax and edges that define the wing pads on the dorsal surface. There are several small black spots along the margins of the wing pads. Some abdominal segments feature a pair of round, whitish spots on the dorso-lateral sides. The pupa measures 14–15 mm in length.
After 5 days, the pupa darkens in color, and the pattern of circular spots on the forewings begins to show through the pupal cuticle in the area of the wing pads. The following day, eclosion occurs, during which the adult butterfly emerges to begin the next phase of its life cycle.
TAXON
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Class: Insecta
Subclass: Pterygota
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Satyrinae
Tribe: Satyrini
Subtribe: Mycalesina
Genus: Mycalesis Hübner (1818)
Species: Mycalesis perseus Fabricius (1775)
SYNONYMS
Coenonympha infuscata MacLeay (1866)
Mycalesis acarya Fruhstorfer (1911)
Mycalesis blasius Fabricius (1798)
Mycalesis caesonia Wallengren (1860)
Mycalesis cepheus Butler (1867)
Mycalesis igoleta Felder (1863)
Mycalesis indistans Moore (1880)
Mycalesis infuscata Waterhouse & Lyell (1914)
Mycalesis lalassis Hewitson (1864)
Mycalesis lugens Butler (1875)
Mycalesis lurida Butler (1879)
Mycalesis modestus Miskin (1890)
VERNACULAR NAME
Chinese (simplified): 裴斯眉眼蝶
Chinese (traditional): 小單環眉眼蝶 - 新目蝶 - 曲斑眉眼蝶 - 曲紋眉眼蝶 - 無紋蛇目蝶 - 裴斯眉眼蝶
English: Dingy bushbrown, Dingy bush-brown, Common bushbrown
Indonesia: Kupu-kupu dingy
Japanese: ヒメヒトツメジャノメ
Java: Kupu dingi
Thai: ผีเสื้อตาลพุ่มธรรมดา
Aryo Bandoro
Dlium TheDlium
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dlium
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