Monday, August 9, 2010

Peacock Pansy

It is named Peacock Pansy.

The eye-spots on a peacock's tail help to attract a mate while performaing a courtship dance, but those found on a butterfly mean to intimidate its predators by resembling the eyes of their enemies.

I do not have any enemies, so I never get frightened.

This Peacock Pansy is another magicain that can change from orange-yellow (upperside) to ochraceous brown (underside) in a flash. Furthermore, it is fun to know that the eye-spots on its underside will disappear during the dry season thus to camouflage themselves in the brown brush.

Those eyes alternate during each fluttering. What happen if the mask of Zoro shows up in between?

Will the predatory birds be caught by this greatest surprise? Or only Batman is better known to them?

25 comments:

Bornean Rose said...

You've got the great angle of both shots!! Awesome....

wenn said...

love the delicate colors of those butterflies!

Ginnymo said...

Beautiful photos Rain!!

Frieda said...

You took some wonderful pictures, and thank you very much for the information about the butterfly...

The Retired One said...

Wonderful thoughts and wonderful shots of this magnificent creature!

LifeRamblings said...

great find. i particularly like the texture and colour of the 2nd shot.

fufu said...

wow nice description and great shot!!!

Kilauea Poetry said...

Oh, nice photo series of this delicate little friend! So it's good they become camouflaged.
Hmm..maybe so, batman possibly?

Rick (Ratty) said...

It's great how much different a butterfly can look from top to bottom. Your butterfly pictures are always good.

George said...

These are wonderful pictures of the peacock pansy. I'm glad you were not frightened off by the eyes and could get both shades of the butterfly.

Grass said...

It's good to have no enemy and never get frightened...:-)

betchai said...

wow, you caught them so well Rainfield, and thanks for the info about them.

AVCr8teur said...

Are you sure the eye fluttering is not a wink to flirt with you?

Kirigalpoththa said...

They surey looks like eyes and will certainly scare off a bigger predator..

Anonymous said...

Awesome shots of this beautiful butterfly..and the information about the eyes is wonderful to know!

silent moments said...

Great shots of the two views...
We have a lot of Pansies here including this one.

Bengbeng said...

u strike gold, this pic must have been difficult to shoot... these r not ordinary butterflies n they tend to fly away when we approach them

rainfield61 said...

Rose Ragai:
These are from patience and trials, no others.

wenn:
Butterflies are beautiful, but not the caterpillars.

Ginnymo:
Oh, thank you.

Frieda/The Retired One:
This is a story by a butterfly, and it invited me.

Life Ramblings:
You choose to love the "inner beauty" of the butterfly.

fufu:
Thanks.

Kilauea Poetry:
You mean it is batman in disguise? Hmm, that's cool....

Ratty:
I keep guessing whenever I find a butterfly on how it looks from the both sides. I have never got it right.

George:
I was just firghtened by what may hide inside the bushes. I have to go around following the butterfly wherever it goes.

Grass:
It's good to have no enemy and at least, I can sleep well.

betchai:
I love to know they are batman in disguise. Please do not tell others. It is a secret. I do not want Cerok Tokun to be flooded by repporters.

AVCr8teur:
Oh, I am electrified by the wink.

Kirigalpoththa:
Then, I am only a small predator that am not scared off by those eyes.

Icy BC:
The eye fluttering is wonderful while duplicating the butterfly effect.

silent moments:
There are many pansies which included a Blue Pansy that I have been confused by. I thought it is another form of a Peacock Pansy when they appear at the same time.

Bengbeng:
It sounds like I have struck a first prize which I would like to.

CH said...

Wow, another great finding. You are a good butterfly chaser.

Anonymous said...

What a contrast between the spots on a peacock and that of a butterfly. One serves to attract whereas the other serves to repel. Nature is intelligent.

Tes said...

Oh wow... better than the other butterfly shot. This time it's clearer and more vibrant. :)

Ann, Chen Jie Xue 陈洁雪 said...

I still can't get over how you "wasted" the wild boar like that. May be next time you should go trekking with a friend, so if the wild boar attacks your car, both of you can carry it home for your curry wild boar meat.

You have a big party, and everyone will want to go trekking with you. Then you kiss goodbye to your solitude. But you will be safer, no more attacks by wild boars.

Sharkbytes (TM) said...

interesting spots on both sides!

Ayie said...

indeed the eyes are intimidating to those predators and enemies but for me it's all but beauty

Harshi said...

Wow.. what a beauty. But it sure has creepy eyes.. not one pair but a whole bunch of them. =D

Awesome pics + info! ^__^