Junonia almanac (peacock pansy)

Family Nymphalidae

Living in places of ground level to low altitude mountain areas, the Junonia almanac (peacock pansy) has orange wing surfaces with an eye-shaped mark on the upper and lower wings respectively, and light brown ventral wings. The female butterfly has lighter wing surfaces and ventral wings colors and thicker white bands beside eye stripes than that of the males’. The winter genotype variety has sharp protrusions on the outer edges of the wings, but no eye stripes on ventral wings. When it closes up the wings, it integrates into the environment like a dead leaf. The fodder of its larvae is plants like spreading hedyotises, water gerberas, Da-Ann hygrophilas, and plantains.

　　Photographed by Chiang Ruei-yiao