Mycalesis perseus

Mycalesis perseus (Fabricius, 1775)
(one synonym : Coenonympha infuscata)
Dingy Bush-brown
SATYRINAE , NYMPHALIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

Mycalesis perseus
(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

This Caterpillar is initially green with pale lateral stripes and a dark dorsal stripe. Later, the body often becomes brown, The head is brown or black, and has a blunt pair of horns that develop yellow tips. The tail is pale and forked. The Caterpillar feeds on various members of the Grass family ( POACEAE ), including :

Giant Spear Crass ( Heteropogon triticeus ),

Silky Blue Grass ( Dichanthium sericeum ),

Kangaroo Grass ( Themeda triandra ), and

the introduced Guinea Grass ( Panicum maximum ).

(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

The pupa is green or brown with pale markings. It hangs from silk pad on a stem or leaf of the foodplant. Its length is a about 1.5 cms.

male
(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

The adults are brown, the dry season form having a small white eyespot on the top of each forewing. The females are usually larger and paler than the males.

female
(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

Underneath the wings are also brown with a variable pattern including a pale diagonal stripe across each wing, and a row of larger eyespots under each of the wings. The wingspan can be up to 4 cms.

(Photo: courtesy of Dave Britton)

The eggs of this species are spherical, and green or yellow, and have a diameter of about 1 mm. They are laid singly on leaves of a foodplant.

egg, magnified
(Photo: courtesy of Wes Jenkinson)

The species occurs as a number of subspecies across south-east Asia, from India to the New Hebrides, including the subspecies perseus in the tropical north of Australia.