Blue Pansy 260509

Junonia orithya wallacei

Details
Family : Nymphalidae
Subfamily : Nymphalinae
Genus : Junonia
Common Name : Blue Pansy

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. 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.