Chocolate Pansy (Junonia hedonia)

OTHER NAMES: Brown Pansy, Chocolate Soldier

Latin Etymology: Junonia (?) hedonia (?)

Adult Chocolate Pansy (subspecies J. h. ida) at Genting Highlands, Malaysia - July 2016

Featured Subspecies: Junonia hedonia ida
Wingspan: 60mm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

The Chocolate Pansy is a widespread species found throughout much of Southern Asia and Australia, found in many habitats - their two main foodplants as larvae are members of the acanthus family that are common plants across the region.  They often bask on low to the ground plants.

Related Species:
Order: Lepidoptera 
Family: Nymphalidae 
Genus: Junonia
SUBSPECIES: J. p. admiralitatis, J. h. apollonia, J. h. hedonia, J. h. hondai, J. h. ida, J. h. intermedia, J. h. iwasakii, J. h. kangeana, J. h. numana, J. h. parvipuncta, J. h. pseudiphita, J. h. seitzi, J. h. teurnia, J. h. thero, J. h. zelima

 - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - Malay - ?

A common resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Several seen at Genting Highlands

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto
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Blue Pansy (Junonia orithya)

OTHER NAMES: Eyed Pansy, Blue Argus

Latin Etymology: Junonia ("peacock") orithya (name of a Princess from Greek Myth)

Adult Blue Pansy (subspecies J. o. wallacei) at Lower Pierce Reservoir, Singapore - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: Junonia orithya wallacei
Wingspan: 45-55mm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

The Blue Pansy is a widespread species found across three continents - Australia, Africa and Asia. It has a very distinctive set of colours which should make identifying it easy, although it varies quite dramatically across the subspecies in terms of what the exact balance of the colours are.  It has a wide variety of food plants throughout it's range.

Related Species:
Order: Lepidoptera 
Family: Nymphalidae 
Genus: Junonia
SUBSPECIES: J. o. albicincta, J. o. baweana, J. o. celebensis, J. o. eutychia, J. o. hainanensis, J. o. here, J. o. kontinentalis, J. o. kuehni, J. o. leucasia, J. o. madagascariensis, J. o. marcella, J. o. metion, J. o. mevaria, J. o. mingagara, J. o. minusculus, J. o. neopommerana, J. o. novaguineae, J. o. ocyale, J. o. orithya, J. o. orthosia, J. o. palea, J. o. patenas, J. o. saleyra, J. o. samatrana, J. o. swinhoei, J. o. wallacei

  - Sighting Locations -

MALAYSIA - A widespread but local resident.

 - MALAYSIA/SINGAPORE 2016 TRIP: Several seen at Genting Highlands

SINGAPORE - A reasonably common resident.

 - SINGAPORE/CAMBODIA 2019 TRIP: Single individual at Lower Pierce Reservoir.

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Grey Pansy (Junonia atlites)

OTHER NAMES: Oriental Grey Pansy
Latin Etymology: Junonia ("peacock") atlites (?)

Adult Grey Pansy (Junonia atlites) at Siem Reap, Cambodia - February 2019

Featured Subspecies: N/A
Weight: ?  /  Length: ?  /  Wingspan: 5.5-6cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

A butterfly that has subtle coloration relative to many of the other more flamboyant tropical Nymphalidae, the grey Pansy has a substantial range over all of Southern Asia, though it is apparently comparatively rare in Singapore.  However, in Cambodia is is presumably fairly common, as this individual was seen in Central Siem Reap in the courtyard of Artisans Angkor.

Related Species:
Order: Lepidoptera 
Family: Nymphalidae 
Genus: Junonia
SUBSPECIES: none - monotypic 

 - Sighting Locations -

CAMBODIA - Khmer - ?
 A fairly common resident

 - CAMBODIA/SINGAPORE 2019 TRIP: One seen at Siem Reap

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto .

Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia)

OTHER NAMES: Buckeye
Latin Etymology:  Junonia ("peacock") coenia ("common")

Adult  Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia) at Berkeley, California - September 2022

Featured Subspecies: ?
Weight: ?  /  Length: ?  /  Wingspan: 4.5-7cm
NO UK STATUS / IUCN Red List: Not Yet Evaluated 

A common brown butterfly of North America, the Common Buckeye is named for it's distinctive eye spots on the upper wing. It is extremely widely distributed through the USA, but more so East of the Rockies and is found in all but the 6 of the Lower 48. The Grey Buckeye is closely related and was formerly considered a subspecies.

Related Species:
Order: Lepidoptera 
Family: Nymphalidae 
Genus: Junonia
SUBSPECIES: ?

 - Sighting Locations -

UNITED STATES 

A common species East of the Rocky Mountains and in introduced populations elsewhere
 - CALIFORNIA 2022 TRIP: Seen at  Berkeley

Further Notes: BirdForum Opus, IUCN Red List, RSPB, Wikipedia, Xeno-canto

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