Description:
There are around 100 species of the Afrotropical genus Bicyclus so far described and presently the genus is undergoing a major revision.
Some females (but also males) from a number of species are difficult to distinguish from each other, such as those in the so called "Dorothea group": Bicyclus jefferyi, Bicyclus moyses, Bicyclus dorothea, Bicyclus vulgaris and Bicyclus sandace.
All of these occur in Uganda.
At first I thought this was Bicyclus saussurei but Dr. Oskar Brattstrom, who helped me identify this species, informed me that it is Bicyclus aurivillii.
Both species look very similar but Bicyclus aurivillii is a little larger than Bicyclus saussurei and much more a range restricted and even stricter high-altitude species.
Dr. Brattstrom is an expert on tropical African butterflies, especially within the genus Bicyclus, and is currently working as a Lecturer of Animal Biology at the University of Glasgow.
Ruhija area, Bwindi National Park, Uganda, 20 January 2025