Dark-branded bushbrown
This tropical butterfly's caterpillars forcefully eject their frass pellets, a habit rarely seen outside skipper butterflies, and its wing pattern shifts between wet and dry seasons.
| Where | Grassy clearings, gardens and riverbanks |
|---|---|
| Size | 40 to 48 mm wingspan |
| When | January to December |
The Dark-branded bushbrown is a dark greyish brown satyrine with an obscure eyespot on the forewing, and males carry small dark scent brands on the forewing and hindwing overlaid with pale yellow hair tufts.
Adults fly with an erratic, jerky wingbeat through grassy clearings, gardens and riverbanks, feeding on rotting fruit rather than flowers, while caterpillars feed on carpet grass and other lowland grasses.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Brown, Grey
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to handle; adults are usually seen feeding on rotting fruit rather than flowers.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
The hindwing ocellus in space 2 sits out of line with the row of eyespots, and only three eyespots run in a straight posterior line where the Dark-branded bushbrown consistently shows four.
Questions
Is the Dark-branded bushbrown dangerous to people?
Harmless to handle; adults are usually seen feeding on rotting fruit rather than flowers.
When can you see the Dark-branded bushbrown?
The Dark-branded bushbrown can be seen from January to December, by day.
Plate retouched from a museum specimen photo by Swiss Natural History Collections - SwissNatColl, CC BY 4.0, GBIF Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Brush-footed butterflies›Mycalesis
Last updated 2026-09-27. Every entry is checked against published sources.