This Yellow Pansy Butterfly Junonia hierta
was photographed at Al Mehfar Park area of Tanoumah. The
Yellow Pansy is a species of nymphalid butterfly found in the Paleotropics
including Saudi Arabia where the subspecies Junonia hierta cebrene can
be found in the drier parts of Africa and Arabia where it is usually seen in
open scrub and grassland habitats. The male upperside is bright yellow. The
costa of the forewing has a broad triangular jet-black projection downwards at
the discocellulars, and the dorsum has a triangular projection upwards near the
tornus; this black margin narrows near the middle of the termen and bears on
the apex two short transverse preapical white streaks crossed by the black
veins. The anterior half and the terminal margin of the hind wing is black, and
the dorsum is broadly shaded with brown while the anterior black area has a
large brilliant blue spot. The cilia of both fore and hind wings are white
alternated with brown. The underside of the forewing is pale yellow. The cellis
is crossed by three laterally black-margined orange-yellow bars, beyond that is
a short, broad, irregular jet-black oblique band from costa to base of vein 4.
The hind wing is greyish yellow, and in the dry-season its form is strongly
irrorated with dusky scales. With a prominent transverse brown discal fascia,
its margins are highly sinuous. There is a brownish broad shade on the middle
of the termen and some obscure lunular marks on the basal area. The antennae is
pale, and the head, thorax and abdomen are dark brownish black; beneath that is
a dull ochraceous white. The female is similar, although the colours are
duller. The cell of the upperside fore wing has a more or less complete
transverse black fascia and another at the discocellulars. A blue-centred
well-marked ocelli is in interspaces
2 and 5 on the disc of the fore wing, and smaller ocelli in interspaces 2 and 5
on the disc of the hind wing. The fore and hind wings have a fairly well
defined pale subterminal line, though the blue spot on the anterior black area
on the hind wing is small and ill defined; the rest is as the male. The
underside is also as the male, but generally has heavier and more clearly
defined markings. I thank Mansur Al Fahad for correcting the identification of the top photos. Mansur mentioned this was in fact a Blue Pansy and not a Yellow Pansy as I thought.
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| Blue Pansy |
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| Yellow Pansy |
