Junonia oenone
In 3 days ~80% in a week >90%
Junonia oenone, the blue pansy or dark blue pansy, is a Nymphalid butterfly native to Africa. "Blue pansy" is also used in India to describe Junonia orithya. Junonia oenone oenone from continental Africa. Junonia oenone epiclelia Boisduval, 1833 from Madagascar, Aldabra, Astove, Assumption and Cosmoledo Island.
The wingspan is 40–52 mm. The upper surface of the forewings is black with white markings towards the apex. The upper surface of the hindwings is black with white markings on the outer edge, and a characteristic large metallic-blue spot. This blue spot is smaller and more a dull purple in females. The underside of the forewings is brown with white markings corresponding to those on the upper surface. The under surface of the hindwings is almost uniform brown.
The larvae feed on Adhatoda densiflora, Mackaya bella, Justicia natalensis and Asystasia (A. gangetica), Isoglossa, Pualowilhelmia and Ruella species. Junonia oenone, UK Butterflies Wikipedia →
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dar es-Salaam | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | |
| 2 | Cotonou | 🇧🇯 Benin | |
| 3 | Antananarivo | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | |
| 4 | Kigali | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | |
| 5 | Serrekunda | 🇬🇲 Gambia | |
| 6 | Maputo | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | |
| 7 | Kampala | 🇺🇬 Uganda | |
| 8 | Lusaka | 🇿🇲 Zambia | |
| 9 | Accra | 🇬🇭 Ghana | |
| 10 | Nairobi | 🇰🇪 Kenya |
Likely
About 40% of wildlife watchers report a Dark Blue Pansy sighting in Cotonou on a given day, based on 18 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the most-seen of the 9 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 80%, and over a week to over 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
October
In that month about 60% of wildlife watchers report a Dark Blue Pansy in Cotonou on a given day, against about 10% in February–April and July–September, the lowest months. That is one of Cotonou's wettest months, with about 170 mm of rain against 20 mm in January.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dark Blue Pansy sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Among the best
Of the 14 cities where we can rate Dark Blue Pansy sightings, Cotonou ranks 2nd at about 40%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Dar es-Salaam (Tanzania, about 40%).
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Dark Blue Pansy that you can see in Cotonou (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Dancing Amber (about 40%), Danaid Eggfly (about 30%) and Plain Tiger Butterfly (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Dark Blue Pansy is recorded against all the insects logged in Cotonou (18 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
