Junonia orithya wallacei
Blue Pansy
Family: | Nymphalidae |
Subfamily: | Nymphalinae |
Genus | Junonia |
Species: | orithya |
Subspecies: | wallacei |
Common Name: | Blue Pansy |
Life History: | complete |
Extant in countries: | •Thailand •Malaysia •Singapore |
Hostplants: |
Description
The Blue Pansy is one of the four Pansies found in Singapore. The male is the prettier of the two sexes, where the hindwing is a bright blue with an orange-red subtornal ocellus. The female is a sombre brown on the upperside. Although the female may contain some blue on the hindwing, a better way to distinguish the two sexes is by the size of the spots on the hindwing. The undersides of both sexes are a pale brown, with the usual markings and ocelli of the Nymphalinae.
Habitat & Habits
The butterfly is a sun-loving species, which can usually be found on grassy patches in open areas. The species is related to the Buckeye (Junonia coenia) found in the United States of America.
Males can sometimes be found in numbers, frolicking in the bright sunshine. They can fly quite rapidly and occasionally engage in a spiral dance going up some height from the ground.
The Blue Pansy is not as common as it used to be, and is usually found in areas where there is open grassland.
Other Observations
To be detailed.
Early Stages
Refer to the ButterflyCirlce's blog article - The Life History of the Blue Pansy..
Further Reading
To be detailed.