Peacock Pansy Butterfly Junonia almana

The PEACOCK PANSY Butterfly, sometimes called the Buckeye in North America, is native to the Indian subcontinent. Both male and female are bright orange with strong "eye-spots" on each wing. The picture above right demonstrates how these eye-spots can resemble a face and startle a predator.

The colours fade in time giving a yellowish orange background. The side view is the "wet season" form with strong markings; in the dry season the colours are muted to merge with dead leaves.