Subfamily Heliconiinae.: A largely pantropical group, with one of the five tribes found in the Holarctic Region.
Tribe Acraeini: There are two Afrotropical genera contained within this tribe; Telchinia and Acraea, both represented at Semuliki. There are 138 described Afrotropical species within this tribe with 104 species recorded in Uganda. At Semuliki a total of 45 species from both genera have been recorded: 25 from the genus Telchinia and 20 species of Acraea, contributing to a third of the Ugandan species total.
Genus Cymothoe: There are 15 species of the Afrotropical genus Cymothoe so far recorded at Semuliki from a.continent total of 78 (Williams, 2018) and a Ugandan total of 17 (Williams, 2015) or 90% of Uganda's total. The two Ugandan species not being recorded at Semuliki being C. distincta and C. indamora, but with both these species being recorded either in the Ituri Forest or Semliki Valley (Ducarme, 2018) it is a distinct possibility that they will also be found in Semuliki. Only three species are frequently sampled in traps and these are C. sangaris, C. cyclades and C. confusa. This genus has been categorised into clades nd the most commonly trapped species C. confusa had a distinctly clumped distribution within Semuliki. Species from this genus were observed more in the forest midstorey as compared to the preference of the forest floor for the genera Bebearia, Euphaedra and Euriphene.
Genus Cymothoe: There are 15 species of the Afrotropical genus Cymothoe so far recorded at Semuliki from a.continent total of 78 (Williams, 2018) and a Ugandan total of 17 (Williams, 2015) or 90% of Uganda's total. The two Ugandan species not being recorded at Semuliki being C. distincta and C. indamora, but with both these species being recorded either in the Ituri Forest or Semliki Valley (Ducarme, 2018) it is a distinct possibility that they will also be found in Semuliki. Only three species are frequently sampled in traps and these are C. sangaris, C. cyclades and C. confusa. This genus has been categorised into clades nd the most commonly trapped species C. confusa had a distinctly clumped distribution within Semuliki. Species from this genus were observed more in the forest midstorey as compared to the preference of the forest floor for the genera Bebearia, Euphaedra and Euriphene.
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Semuliki National Park, Uganda
Genus Bicyclus: There are around 100 species of the Afrotropical genus Bicyclus so far described and presently the genus is undergoing a major revision. There are 28 - including B. mesogenina and B. dentata which were not included in the published Semuliki checklist or possibly 29 (depending on the alboplaga/xenoides taxonomic status) of the current described species to have been recorded at Semuliki. A number of species display seasonal polymorphism and B. vulgaris and B. buea were two of the most common assemblage species sampled in the fruit traps. Some females from a number of species are difficult to differentiate (eg. buea, smithi and sanaos or vulgaris and sandace) and in this instance I will still include a female specimen for reference although the specific species can't be verified. The website follows the species groups categories detailed in the 'Systematic checklist (with complete synonymic listing) of currently known Bicyclus species by Aduse-Poku et al., (2016).
The evadne species-group and the alboplaga-complex
Although listed as 2 separate species (B. alboplaga and B. xeneoides) in 'The butterflies (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidia) of Semuliki National Park, western Uganda' the two species show little genetic differences and are morphologically variable over their range. The field images below show the specimens (females and males) of the two species trapped at Semuliki. The two species were not common.
Bicyclus xenoides (male, under and upperside)
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Bicyclus xenoides (female, underside)
Bicyclus xenoides (female, upperside)
The ignobilis species-group
There is only one species: B. ignobilis recorded at Semuliki from this group of six described species. Only one female specimen was ever trapped and female upper and underside is much lighter. The species-group was revised by Brattström in 2015.
Bicyclus ignobilis (female, under and upperside)
Bicyclus ignobilis (female, underside)
Bicyclus ignobilis (male and female)
The sciathis species-group
This species-group was revised by Brattström et al., in 2016. Of the 13 described species in this group, three are recorded at Semuliki: hyperanthus, uniformis and procora.
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Bicyclus hyperanthus (male, under and upperside)
Bicyclus hyperanthus (female, underside)
Bicyclus hyperanthus (female, upperside)
Bicyclus uniformis (male, under and upperside)
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Bicyclus uniformis (female, underside)
Bicyclus uniformis (female, upperside)
Bicyclus procora (female, upperside)
Bicyclus procora (male, under and upperside)
Bicyclus procora (female, underside)
The hewitsoni species-group
This species-group has 12 described species. Only two species are recorded at Semuliki: graueri which is a common species and sebetus which was rarely trapped.
Bicyclus sebetus (male, upper and underside)
Bicyclus sebetus (male, upperside showing absence of subapical band)
Bicyclus sebetus (male, underside)
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Bicyclus sebetus (female, upper and underside)
Bicyclus graueri (female, upper and underside)
Bicyclus graueri (male, upperside)
Bicyclus graueri (male, underside)
The saussurei species-group
This species-group has 11 described species. Only one species has been recorded at Semuliki: B. dentata. Only one individual was ever seen and only one image of this species was captured. It was never trapped .
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Bicyclus dentata (male, underside)
The safitza species-group
This species-group has 3 described species. Only one species has been recorded at Semuliki: safitza which is one of the more regularly trapped Bicyclus species. This species shows seasonal polyphenism in wing pattern between dry and wet season forms with respect to eyespot diameter size.
Bicyclus safitza (males and female, underside - dry season form)
Bicyclus safitza (males and female, uppersides)
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Bicyclus safitza (male and female, underside - wet season form)
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Bicyclus safitza (miniature male, trapped during dry season)
The funebris species-group
There is only one species described in this group and like B. safitza, B. funebris displays seasonal plasticity in wing pattern, principally eyespot diameter.
Bicyclus funebris (male and female, underside - dry season form)
Bicyclus funebris (male underside - wet season form)
Bicyclus funebris (female,underside - wet season form)
Bicyclus funebris (males, upperside - seasonal forms)
Bicyclus funebris (females, upperside - seasonal forms)
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The rhacotis species-group
There are seven described species in this group with at least two officially recorded at Semuliki but most likely three: B sambulos, B mesogena and B. mesogenina. Both B. mesogena and B.mesogenina are sympatric over the Congo Basin region (and in Kibale National Park, a submontane forest around 40km south-east of Semuliki in Uganda) with differences in both forewing and andocronial brush shape and also genitalia.. B. mesogena or mesogenina was one of the more common Bicyclus species and was regularly trapped.
Bicyclus sambulos (male, under and upperside)
Bicyclus sambulos (female, underside)
Bicyclus sambulos (female, upperside)
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Bicyclus mesogena (male, under and upperside)
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Bicyclus mesogena (female, under and upperside)
The angulosa species-group
There are 12 described species in this group with five species recorded at Semuliki: B collinsi, B. auricruda, B. campa, B. mollitia and B. angulosa. In comparison to the abundant B. buea and B. vulgaris, none of these species can be regarded as common.
Bicyclus collinsi (male, under and upperside)
Bicyclus collinsi (female, upperside)
Bicyclus auricruda (male, under and upperside)
Bicyclus auricruda (female, upperside)
Bicyclus collinsi (female, underside)
Bicyclus auricruda (female, underside)
Bicyclus campa (male, underside)
Bicyclus campa (female under and upperside)
Bicyclus mollitia (male, under and upperside)
Bicyclus angulosa (waiting on field image)
Bicyclus mollitia (female, underside)
Bicyclus mollitia (female, upperside)
The martius species-group
From the 14 described species in this group, five species have been recorded at Semuliki: B buea, B. sanaos, B. smithi, B. golo and B. sophrosyne. Females of some of these species are particularly difficult to identify in the field (buea and sanaos: smithi, golo and sophrosyne). In this instance an image of a female that could either be for example Sanaos or Buea, even if it may be ambiguous will be displayed. This is one of the groups identified by the work of Aduse-Poku et al., (2017) that requires a revision.
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Bicyclus buea (male, under and upperside)
Bicyclus buea (female, under and upperside)
Females of Bicyclus buea and B. sanaos (species below) are impossible to identify in the field as reliable identification cues have yet to be described (female examples of trapped individuals of either B. buea and B. sanaos)
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Bicyclus sanaos (male, under and upperside)
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Bicyclus sanaos (female, upper and underside)
Bicyclus smithi (male, under and upperside)
Bicyclus smithi (female, under and upperside)
Females of Bicyclus smithi and B. golo (species below) are impossible to identify in the field as reliable identification cues have yet to be described (female examples of trapped individuals of either B. smithi and B. golo)
Bicyclus golo (male, under and upperside)
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Bicyclus golo (female, underside)
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Bicyclus golo (female, upperside)
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Bicyclus sophrosyne (male underside)
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Bicyclus sophrosyne (male upperside)
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Bicyclus sophrosyne (female underside)
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Bicyclus sophrosyne (female underside)
The dorothea species-group
There are five described species in this group, three species have been recorded at Semuliki: B sandace, B. jefferyi and B. vulgaris. Included within this species-group is the dorothea-complex containing three morphologically and genetically similar species: B. jefferyi, B. moyses and B. dorothea where B. jefferyi has more of an eastern distribution, ranging into Kenya. B. jefferyi was most commonly trapped along with B. safitza within the grassland patch.
Bicyclus jefferyi (male, underside)
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Bicyclus jefferyi (male, upperside)
Bicyclus jefferyi (female, underside)
Bicyclus jefferyi (female, upperside)
Females of Bicyclus jefferyi, B. vulgaris and B. sandace can be impossible to identify in the field as reliable identification cues have yet to be described (female examples of trapped individuals of possibly either B. jefferyi, B vulgaris and B. sandace)
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Bicyclus vulgaris (male, underside)
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Bicyclus vulgaris (male, upperside)
Bicyclus vulgaris (female, underside)
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Bicyclus vulgaris (female, upperside)
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Bicyclus sandace (male, under and upperside)
Bicyclus sandace (female, underside)
The ena species-group
There are four described species in this group, with only one occurring at Semuliki: B campina. This species is highly variable and the specimens included here can be compared with B. campa (images further above) with respect to the discal line of the forewing underside which in B. campus is usually angled more predominantly to 90° and this can be seen in the field images.
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Bicyclus campina (male, underside)
Bicyclus campina (female, underside)
Specific genus site links, references and bibliography:
Aduse‐Poku, K., Brakefield, P.M., Wahlberg, N. & Brattström, O., (2016). Supplemental data S5: Systematic checklist (with complete synonymic listing) of currently known Bicyclus species.
Aduse‐Poku, K., Brakefield, P.M., Wahlberg, N. & Brattström, O., (2017). Expanded molecular phylogeny of the genus Bicyclus (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) shows the importance of increased sampling for detecting semi-cryptic species and highlights potentials for future studies. Systematics and Biodiversity, 15(2), 115-130.
Brakefield, P.M. & Reitsma, N. (1991). Phenotypic plasticity, seasonal climate and the population biology of Bicyclus butterflies (Satyridae) in Malawi. Ecological Entomology 16, 291-303.
The two papers below describe ongoing taxonomic revision of the genus.
Brattström, O., Aduse‐Poku, K., Collins, S.C. & Brakefield, P.M., (2015). Revision of the Bicyclus ignobilis species‐group (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) with descriptions of two new species. Zootaxa 4018, 57‐79.
Brattström, O., Aduse‐Poku, K., Collins, S.C., Di Micco De Santo, T. & Brakefield, P.M., (2016). Revision of the Bicyclus sciathis species group (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) with descriptions of four new species and corrected distributional records. Systematic Entomology 41, 207‐228.
Condamin, M., (1973). Monographie du Genre Bicyclus (Lepidoptera, Satyridae). L’Institut Fondamental D’Afrique Noire, Dakar. To date the most comprehensive resource covering this genus, unfortunately, all images are in black and white.
Dongmo, M.A.K, Bonebrake, T.C., Hanna, R. & Fomena, A. (2018). Seasonal polyphenism in Bicyclus dorothea (Lepidoptera:
Nymphalidae) across different habitats in Cameroon. Environmental Entomology, 47(6), 1601–1608.
Nymphalidae.Net provides a detailed taxonomic overview of the Subtribe Mycalesina. Subtribe Mycalesina (Wahlberg, N).
Williams, M.C., (2020). Genus Bicyclus. A section of Afrotropical Butterflies (17th Edition). Publication is available from Lepidopterists' Society of Africa website https://www.lepsocafrica.org/?p=publications&s=atb.
Online resource. www.bicyclus.se. The research site of Oskar Brattström for up to date research and publications on all things Bicyclus.