Orsotriaena
species of insect
Orsotriaena medus is a butterfly found in south Asia, southeast Asia, and Australia. It is the only species in the genus Orsotriaena, first described by Hans Daniel Johan Wallengren in 1858.
Historical name and new common names
The butterfly has historically been called the nigger referring to its dark brown colour, but it has been renamed in Australian faunal works to smooth-eyed bushbrown, medus brown in India, and dark grass-brown in Southeast Asia.
Description
Orsotriaena medus is a medium-sized butterfly with wingspan of 45 to 55 mm (1.8 to 2.2 in). The butterfly is dark brown above with a thin marginal pale border. The upper hindwing having a thin submarginal line. There are no eyespots on the upperside of the wings.
Below, the butterfly has a white discal band which runs across both wings. It has five eyespots on the underside of the wings. In the forewing, it has two eyespots, with the anterior eyespot slightly smaller.
“Orsotriaena” enters the record as species of insect. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Orsotriaena, species and insect can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Orsotriaena” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Orsotriaena, species and insect provides the most credible route into that argument.
The date and method of observation matter as much as the stated conclusion, especially where classification or consensus has changed. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 8, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q2715907. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1858.
Scientific names, classifications and consensus can change while older terminology persists in catalogues and historical literature. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Orsotriaena”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Orsotriaena primary sources, Orsotriaena archive and Orsotriaena research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Orsotriaena”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Orsotriaena” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.