EASY GARDEN BUTTERFLIES
Black-haired Bush BrownBicyclus safitza safitza
The Black-haired Bush Brown is one of the Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies), subfamily Satyrinae (Browns and Ringlets).
They are smallish dark brown butterflies (no bigger than 50mm across the wings) that love shady places. You won’t see them out in the open sitting on flowers; they prefer plants that grow in the shade and like to feed on fermenting fruit that may have fallen to the forest floor. A good way to attract them is to allow a banana to go ‘off’ and put it on the ground. They are most active on cloudy days, even flying in drizzle and on warm mornings or evenings. Four or five of them dancing in a circle a few centimetres above the ground are an enchanting sight.
The name ‘Ringlet’ comes from the ring-shaped eyespots they carry on their undersides. The ‘Black-haired’ part comes from a set of black, hair-like scales the male carries on the underside of the inner margin of his forewings. These carry a perfume that he uses to excite the female.
Distribution
Black-haired Bush Brown is a butterfly for those gardeners who live in areas with a nearby Forest component. Anywhere along the southern and eastern side of South Africa, on the seaward side of the Great Escarpment there can be suitable lowland or riverine forests, or heavily wooded savanna. The usable zone stretches from George to the Mozambique border and across the lowveld to the Limpopo. Further north it’s found in wooded savanna and forest all over sub-Saharan Africa.
Egg
Black-haired Bush Brown egg
Bicyclus safitza safitza
The female Black-haired Bush Brown lays her tiny, watery-white eggs singly on grass stems and blades. They have a faint net pattern on the surface that isn’t visible to the naked eye. They are slightly flattened spheres 1.1mm diameter by 0.9mm high. The eggs turn black as the caterpillar inside develops. The egg stage lasts about six to eight days. but can take longer in cool conditions.
Caterpillar
Black-haired Bush Brown larva
Bicyclus safitza safitza
Black-haired Bush Brown caterpillars are green when young, becoming brownish-cream when fully grown; they are mottled with brown and have a row of dark spots either side of the back. They have two pale lines outlined in brown along their sides, and a series of diagonal marks between them. The head is rounded with two forward-pointing projections that resemble a cat’s ears.
They moult four times whilst growing from 3mm to 25-35mm long over a period of three to six weeks depending on the season (longer in autumn).
They spin a silk pad on a grass leaf and move away from it to feed, returning to it to digest food and defecate. They are cryptic and nocturnal in their habits..
Pupa/Chrysalis
Black-haired Bush Brown pupa
Bicyclus safitza safitza
Black-haired Bush Brown pupae are small (about 20mm long), rounded and formed low down amongst grass stems and twigs. The larva normally hangs head downwards from the silk pad it was living on and sheds its last skin to reveal the pupa.
Like all Nymphalidae pupae they hang head downwards from their tail. They are exquisitely camouflaged and vary in colour from green with mid-brown markings to dark ochre with chocolate-brown markings. They always have a pale stripe along the inner margin of the wing casing and a double row of pale spots along the back.
Host plant
The Black-haired Bush Brown main caterpillar host plants are Basket-grass Oplismenus hirtellus and the forest specialist Dwarf Forest-grass Pseudechinolaena polystachya. These are good ground covers for shady areas in the garden.
Basket-grass
Oplismenus hirtellus
Basket-grass close up
Oplismenus hirtellus
Dwarf Forest-grass close up
Pseudechinolaena polystachya
Dwarf Forest-grass
Pseudechinolaena polystachya
How to attract them
Gardeners can promote the presence of this butterfly by allowing its host plants to grow uncut in shady places. Basket-grass is a popular shade ground cover and its seeds are readily available. Because the caterpillars live in the grassy understory and pupate on low-growing plants and leaf debris, it’s important to allow these areas to develop naturally and avoid mowing or ‘strimming’ them. This is good for all forest insects, not only Black-haired Bush Browns.
Other aspects
Black-haired Bush Brown ♂
Bicyclus safitza safitza upperside
Black-haired Bush Brown ♂
Bicyclus safitza safitza form evenus
Black-haired Bush Brown ♀
Bicyclus safitza safitza form evenus
Black-haired Bush Brown ♀
Black-haired Bush Brown form safitza
The sexes of the Black-haired Bush Brown are similar; females tend to have more pale shading on the upper side forewing apex and have a warmer shade of brown on both wing surfaces. The main variation in this butterfly is in its undersides. These vary from only having the one big forewing eyespot in form evenus, to having many, as in form safitza.
Form evenus is the normal dry season form. Its underside eyespots are indistinct, except for the big one which is normally covered by the hindwing when the butterfly is at rest. When dry leaves cover the forest floor and resources are scarce this allows the butterfly to blend in and hide from predators.
Form safitza is the normal wet season form and has many conspicuous eyespots. When resources are plentiful and the grass is long and rank this may serve as a ‘startle’ defence by scaring off predators.
In both forms the ‘big eyes’ are thought to play a role in sexual signalling.
These butterflies and their relatives are the subject of much research into the genetics and function of butterfly wing patterns.