Mycalesis anynana
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Bicyclus anynana (squinting bush brown) 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 Eswatini. 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. In addition, females choose male mates based on their eyespots; in a process known as stabilizing selection, eyespots that are too large or too small are selected against. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gonarezhou National Park | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | |
| 2 | uMkhuze Game Reserve | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 3 | iSimangaliso Wetland Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 4 | Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa | |
| 5 | Kruger National Park | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durban | 🇿🇦 South Africa |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Mycalesis anynana sighting in uMkhuze Game Reserve on a given day, based on 6 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 33rd most-seen of the 59 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.
May
In that month about 50% of wildlife watchers report a Mycalesis anynana in uMkhuze Game Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in August–September and November–April, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Mycalesis anynana sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
2nd of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Mycalesis anynana sightings, uMkhuze Game Reserve ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Gonarezhou National Park (Zimbabwe, about 30%).
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Mycalesis anynana that you can see in uMkhuze Game Reserve (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Plain Tiger Butterfly (about 30%), Spotted Brown Pansy (about 30%) and Yellow Pansy (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Mycalesis anynana is recorded against all the insects logged in uMkhuze Game Reserve (6 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
