page_title: Bicyclus anynana
section_title: Description
hierarchical_section_title: Bicyclus anynana / Description
caption_attribution_description: English: Androconial spot on wing of Squinting Bush Brown Bicyclus anynana, Family Nymphalidae, Lepidoptera. Caption provided by author&#160;: Androconial spot on the hind wing of the African butterfly Bicyclus anynana. Androconia are scales of lepidoptera that are specialized for the dispersion/production of sexual pheromones. The term is generally used for males only (but some authors seems to use it also for females). The yellow hairs that cross the picture are part of a hair pencil that has been removed for the picture. This hair pencil also play a role in the dispersion of the sexual scent.
context_page_description: Bicyclus anynana is a small brown butterfly in the family Nymphalidae, the most globally diverse family of butterflies. It is primarily found in eastern Africa from southern Sudan to Swaziland. It is found mostly in woodland areas and flies close to the ground. Male wingspans are 35–40 mm and female wingspans are 45–49 mm.
  The bush brown is helpful for research because of its ideal size and breeding time. In addition to this, the bush brown is one of many insect species to vary its coloration depending on the season, making it a valuable tool in studying phenotypic plasticity. Wet seasons produce butterflies with large eyespots, while dry seasons have butterflies dull in color.
  Male butterflies engage in mud-puddling, which involves taking up nutrients by aggregating on wet soil and dung. Males use pheromones to attract females during courtship. However, courtship in the bush brown is notable for its plasticity: temperature during adult development plays a large role in determining the rate of male courtship as well as the roles of males and females during the courtship process. The bush brown uses its eyespots as a defense against avian predators.
context_section_description: The bush brown is a small brown butterfly with a wingspan of 35–40 mm for males and 45–49 for females.  Males have sexual traits on their wings called androconia that release pheromones during courtship. The butterflies is characterized by their unusually short front legs and their rather non-descript brown wings. Bush browns, however, are known for having several large eyespots in the wet season.  There are two extended generations per year. The wet-season form is on wing in spring and summer and the dry-season form in autumn and winter
caption: Androconial spot on the hind wing of the African butterfly Bicyclus anynana.
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