The word “pansy” comes from the French word pensée, meaning “thought” or “remembrance”.
Pansy is commonly referred to a flower because of its delicate, vibrant petals and dark center resemble a human face lost in contemplation.
This floral connection spilled over into the insect world, as an entire group of brightly colored brush-footed butterflies in the genus Junonia.
Much like the flower, these butterflies feature intricate, face-like patterns and technicolor eyespots on their wings.
Junonia lemonias, the lemon pansy, is a butterfly found in South Asia.
It is found in gardens, fallow land, and open wooded areas.
It is a very active butterfly and camouflages well in the dried leaf litter. They are known to migrate between eastern and western Ghats.
Shot in Coorg, Nikon Gears, June 2026 © Dr.Bishan Monnappa
