The scientific name *Mycalesis gotama* Moore belongs to the order Lepidoptera, family Nymphalidae. It is commonly known as the yellow-brown snake butterfly, sun and moon butterfly, snake eye butterfly, or short-horned eye butterfly. This species is found in the southern regions of Henan, Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Yunnan provinces, primarily in the eastern parts of these areas.
The primary host plants include rice, white rice, sugarcane, and bamboo. The larvae feed on these plants, causing significant damage to their growth and development.
The damage caused by the larvae is characterized by irregular notches along the edges of the leaves, which can severely affect the health and yield of crops such as rice and white rice.
Morphologically, the adult butterfly has a body length of about 16.5 mm and a wingspan ranging from 41 to 52 mm. The wing surface is dark brown, with a grayish-yellow back. On both the front and hind wings, there are three and six black, snake-eye-like spots respectively, with the smaller spot located before the larger one. On the hind wing, there are two groups of three snake-eye spots each. The eggs are egg-shaped, measuring 0.8–0.9 mm, with a beige color and fine mesh patterns on the surface. They turn brown just before hatching.
The newly hatched larvae are small, about 2–3 mm long, pale white in color, and grow to around 32 mm when mature. Mature larvae are green, spindle-shaped, with a pair of horn-like projections on the head and a tail-like structure at the end of the abdomen. The cocoon is approximately 15 mm long, greenish or grayish-brown, and slightly arched in the middle.
In terms of living habits, this species has 4–5 generations per year in Zhejiang and Fujian, while South China sees up to 5–6 generations annually. The generations often overlap. Pupae or late-stage larvae overwinter in rice fields, along riverbanks, ditches, and mountain weeds. Adults typically emerge between 6 and 15 o'clock. During the day, they fly around flowers or bamboo groves, but they hide among weeds in the evening. After feeding for 5–10 days, females lay eggs on the underside or surface of leaves the following day. Each female can lay between 96 and 166 eggs over more than 30 days. Newly hatched larvae first consume the eggshell before moving on to leaf edges. By the third instar, their food intake increases significantly. Mature larvae remain inactive for 1–3 days before spinning silk and attaching themselves to leaves, turning them upside down. Natural predators include velvet bees, broad-legged bees, and falcons.
For prevention and control, methods include using larval death techniques, shaking the plants, or allowing ducks to feed on them. Spraying should be done during the peak of the second-instar larval stage. Insecticides such as those derived from *Phyllostachys philoxeroides* can be effective in controlling infestations.
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