Lemon Pansy

Description:

Wet and dry season forms differ considerably in coloration and even shape. In the wet season form markings are distinct and vivid and the wing shape is a little more rounded. In the dry season form the markings are obscure and pale especially on the underside and the wing margin is more angular and jagged. This helps it camouflage in the dried leaf-litter.

Habitat:

Spotted it on a tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum). Garden.

Notes:

Adults: In both sexes, the upper side is dark brown. Cell crossed by four short black waved lines, the space between the middle pair, two spots beyond apex of cell dull yellowish-white. A discal curved series of spots and a post-discal straighter series followed by a sub-terminal series of spots, yellowish-white. A large discal blue- centred yellow-ringed black ocellus and a much smaller brown sub-apical ocellus between the discal and post-discal series of spots, finally a dark brown terminal border. Hind wing: paler brown; a slender loop at apex of cell, a large ocellus similar to that on the forewing, sub-apically placed, often with the outer ring enclosing a second very small ocellus; post-discal, sub-terminal and terminal dark brown lunular lines. Underside: yellowish brown, wings somewhat mottled, crossed by waved bands and series of obscure pale spots. Fore wing with a large black pale-ringed ocellus, the hind wing with or without a series of dots in the post-discal dark band. In some specimens there are two black-centred pale-ringed ocelli in the post-discal dark band on the underside of the hind wing.