Meadow Argus
Stigma, Scales
Ellura
Australian Admiral
S7, Topside Wings
 
                 
Meadow Argus (Junonia villida)Class: Animals (Animalia) - Jointed Legs (Arthropoda) - Insects (Insecta)
Order: Butterflies & Moths (Lepidoptera)
Family: Brown Butterfly (Papilionoidea: Nymphalidae)     iNaturalist Observation
Species: Meadow Argus (Junonia villida)
This Photo:     🔍Scales🔎

Thank you Matt Endacott & Karen Weaving for confirming the id of this species for us

General Species Information:
Found on Ellura (in the Murray Mallee, SA), the Adelaide Hills, the Flinders Ranges and elsewhere
Brown & orange butterfly with 4 trailing "eye" pattern on the wings. These "eyes" are a protective measure. Predators with attack the head (where the eyes are), but here these are the wings, which are not as fragile as the head. We've seen butterflies with severely damaged wing which are still able to fly.
Notice the stigma are made of different coloured scales, very metallic blue in colour.
Also notice the photo of the underwings scales. It shows large variation in size and shape of scales; long thin hair like strands vs large & small wide flat scales. Some of the flat scales have a smooth end, while others are serrated.

Copyright © 2024-2025 Brett & Marie Smith. All Rights Reserved. Photographed 04-Oct-2024
This species is classed as C (Common) on the South Australian Butterflies & Moths website