Many of the tropical butterflies have distinctive seasonal forms.

This phenomeno
n is termed seasonal polyphenism and the seasonal forms of the butterflies are c
alled the dry-season and wet-season forms. How the season affects the genetic ex
pression of patterns is still a subject of research.[21] Experimental modificati
on by ecdysone hormone treatment has demonstrated that it is possible to control
the continuum of expression of variation between the wet and dry-season forms.[
22] The dry-season forms are usually more cryptic and it has been suggested that
the protection offered may be an adaptation. Some also show greater dark colour
s in the wet-season form which may have thermoregulatory advantages by increasin
g ability to absorb solar radiation.[23]
Bicyclus anynana is a species of butterfly that exhibits a clear example of seas
onal polyphenism. These butterflies, endemic to Africa, have two distinct phenot
ypic forms that alternate according to the season. The wet-season forms have lar
ge, very apparent ventral eyespots whereas the dry-season forms have very reduce
d, often nonexistent, ventral eyespots. Larvae that develop in hot, wet conditio
ns develop into wet-season adults whereas those growing in the transition from t
he wet to the dry season, when the temperature is declining, develop into dry-se
ason adults.[24] This polyphenism has an adaptive role in B. anynana. In the dry
-season it is disadvantageous to have conspicuous eyespots because B. anynana bl
end in with the brown vegetation better without eyespots. By not developing eyes
pots in the dry-season they can more easily camouflage themselves in the brown b
rush. This minimizes the risk of visually mediated predation. In the wet-season,
these brown butterflies cannot as easily rely on cryptic coloration for protect
ion because the background vegetation is green. Thus, eyespots, which may functi
on to decrease predation, are beneficial for B. anynana to express