Whilst birdwatching the bottom valley of
the Raydah Escarpment in December I came across a number of Yellow Pansy
Butterfly Junonia hierta. Some were in poor condition but one was a
better specimen shown below. The Yellow Pansy Junonia hierta 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.
