Mycalesis patnia
Encyclopedia
The Gladeye Bushbrown (Mycalesis patnia) is a satyrid
butterfly
found in southern India
and Sri Lanka
.
Upperside:
Male has a dark-umber-brown ground-colour slightly suffused with ochraceous. Fore and hind wings with bright ochraceous-yeilow, slender sub-terminal and terminal lines; cilia pale brown. Fore wing with a large median and a much smaller subapical white-centred black ocellus, each with an orange-yellow iris, the upper portion of the iris round the median ocellus very broad, the lower incomplete and a more or less triangular orange-yellow discal patch. Hind wing uniform, with two very small fulvous-ringed black ocelli
.
Underside of male deep ochraceous yellow, subterminal and terminal line as on the upperside ; fore and hind wing crossed near base by a darker ochraceous-yellow line, followed by a silvery discal band, beyond which there are two ocelli as on the upperside, but each encircled also by an outer silvery ring; and on the hind wing a curved series of seven similar ocelli having a silvery band bordering them on both sides, the third and fourth ocelli from tornus
together and the apical ocellus by itself placed on a brighter ochraceous patch encircled with black. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen brown, somewhat ochraceous beneath. Sex-mark is present in one morph.
Female is similar to the male but more strongly suffused with ochraceous on the upperside; the orange-yellow patch on the fore wing larger, spreading to the base of the wing and no ocelli on the hind wing. Underside as in the male, but of a brighter ochraceous yellow; basal area of both fore and hind wing crossed by two darker yellow bands, and the discoidal cell of the fore wing with an interior loop of the same colour.
The South Indian race M. p. junonia is identical to the nominate race from Sri Lanka
but on the upperside is a duller brown colour; the median ocellus on the fore wing encircled with pure white ; no discal patch, or merely faint traces of one. Underside: markings similar to those in M. p. patnia, but altogether of a duller and browner shade, without any general ochraceous tint, a large bright ochraceous spot posteriorly on the hind wing in the male. The median ocellus on the fore wing broadly encircled with white. Male sex-marks are seen in one morph.
It has a wing expanse of 42–54 mm.
Satyrinae
Satyrinae, the satyrines or satyrids, commonly known as the Browns, is a subfamily of the Nymphalidae . They were formerly considered a distinct family, Satyridae. This group contains nearly half of the known diversity of brush-footed butterflies...
butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
found in southern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
.
Description
- See glossaryGlossary of Lepidopteran termsThis glossary describes the terms used in the formal descriptions of insect species, jargon used mostly by professionals or entomologist....
for terms used
Upperside:
Male has a dark-umber-brown ground-colour slightly suffused with ochraceous. Fore and hind wings with bright ochraceous-yeilow, slender sub-terminal and terminal lines; cilia pale brown. Fore wing with a large median and a much smaller subapical white-centred black ocellus, each with an orange-yellow iris, the upper portion of the iris round the median ocellus very broad, the lower incomplete and a more or less triangular orange-yellow discal patch. Hind wing uniform, with two very small fulvous-ringed black ocelli
Eyespot (mimicry)
An eyespot is an eye-like marking. They are found on butterflies, reptiles, birds and fish. In members of the Felidae family , the white circular markings on the backs of the ears are termed ocelli, and they are functionally similar to eyespots in other animals.Eyespots may be a form of...
.
Underside of male deep ochraceous yellow, subterminal and terminal line as on the upperside ; fore and hind wing crossed near base by a darker ochraceous-yellow line, followed by a silvery discal band, beyond which there are two ocelli as on the upperside, but each encircled also by an outer silvery ring; and on the hind wing a curved series of seven similar ocelli having a silvery band bordering them on both sides, the third and fourth ocelli from tornus
Glossary of Lepidopteran terms
This glossary describes the terms used in the formal descriptions of insect species, jargon used mostly by professionals or entomologist....
together and the apical ocellus by itself placed on a brighter ochraceous patch encircled with black. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen brown, somewhat ochraceous beneath. Sex-mark is present in one morph.
Female is similar to the male but more strongly suffused with ochraceous on the upperside; the orange-yellow patch on the fore wing larger, spreading to the base of the wing and no ocelli on the hind wing. Underside as in the male, but of a brighter ochraceous yellow; basal area of both fore and hind wing crossed by two darker yellow bands, and the discoidal cell of the fore wing with an interior loop of the same colour.
The South Indian race M. p. junonia is identical to the nominate race from Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
but on the upperside is a duller brown colour; the median ocellus on the fore wing encircled with pure white ; no discal patch, or merely faint traces of one. Underside: markings similar to those in M. p. patnia, but altogether of a duller and browner shade, without any general ochraceous tint, a large bright ochraceous spot posteriorly on the hind wing in the male. The median ocellus on the fore wing broadly encircled with white. Male sex-marks are seen in one morph.
It has a wing expanse of 42–54 mm.