Meadow Argus Junonia villida calybe
Wingspan: 40 mm - 43 mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: All year - more frequent Sep to May, less frequent Jun to Aug
Distribution: Australia wide.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
Wingspan: 40 mm - 43 mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: All year - more frequent Sep to May, less frequent Jun to Aug
Distribution: Australia wide.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
A Meadow Argus enjoying the sun, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 28 Sep 2007, 8.24 am
This photo shows the lovely blue spots on the Meadow Argus' wings, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 18 Feb 2016, 11.17 am
Two Meadow Argus feed on Giant Forget-me-nots, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 11 Dec 2016, 12.32 pm
A Meadow Argus on Lord Howe Island, near Lagoon Beach close to Pinetrees Resort, 27 Nov 2012, 5.27 pm
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The underside of the Meadow Argus on Lord Howe Is, near Lagoon Beach close to Pinetrees Resort, 27 Nov 2012, 5.27 pm
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Meadow Argus larva feeding on Verbena, Claire Cottage Dorrigo, 22 Feb 2006, 2.22 pm
Meadow Argus Junonia villida calybe
Wingspan: 40 mm - 43 mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: All year - more frequent Sep to May, less frequent Jun to Aug
Distribution: Australia wide.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
Butterfly Sightings:
Larva Sightings:
Larval Food Plants:
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Open situations in garden areas and on edge of the Rainforest.
Thought to be breeding at Claire Cottage: Yes
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: N/A - sighted all year
Last warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: N/A - sighted all year
INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS
A common butterfly, found all over Australia, it has a wide range of food plants - even more than listed. It is a very fast flyer and settles frequently, most often on the ground.
In September 2007 and October 2008 warm westerly winds brought large migrating numbers of this butterfly to our property.
Obligingly for the photographer it sits with its wings open. Flashing its eye spots is said to frighten birds. It is the eye spots that help tell it apart from the Painted Lady.
At 20.30 (08.30pm) on 08/02/19 a Meadow Argus was attracted to our moth light. This is the first and only time this species has been attracted to visit our moth light after dark. A brief thunder storm was winding down with the rain having reduced to a short period of large drops falling.
Wingspan: 40 mm - 43 mm
Sighted Claire Cottage: All year - more frequent Sep to May, less frequent Jun to Aug
Distribution: Australia wide.
Status Claire Cottage: common
Status Dorrigo Plateau: thought to be common
Butterfly Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE:
- Aug 2003, 2007, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016,
- Sep 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012 2013, 2015, 2016,
- Oct 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017,
- Nov 2001, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016,
- Dec 2001, 2002, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018,
- Jan 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019,
- Feb 2001, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
- Mar 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020,
- Apr 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020,
- May 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2021,
- Jun 2001, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2014,
- Jul 2007, 2014,
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: Sighted Frequently
Larva Sightings:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: Feb 2006,
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: None to date
Larval Food Plants:
- CLAIRE COTTAGE: (Requires more research to determine which others of the food plants listed below grow at Claire Cottage).
- VERBENACEAE: *Verbena bonariensis (Purpletop),
- DORRIGO PLATEAU elsewhere: (as for Claire Cottage)
- ELSEWHERE: ACANTHACEAE: Hygrophila augustifolia, Ruellia sp., (possibly *Ruellia simplex , Britton's Wild Petunia, Mexican Bluebell, Mexican Petunia, *Ruellia squarrosa , (Creeping Ruellia, Blue Shade) ASTERACEAE: Epaltes australis, CONVOLVULACEAE: Evolvulus alsinoides, DIPSACACEAE: *Scabiosa atropurpurea (Pincushion) , GENTIANACEAE: Centaurium spicatum, GOODENIACEAE: Goodenia grandiflora (Large-flowered Goodenia) , Scaevola aemula (Fairy Fanflower) , LAMIACEAE: Hyptis suavolens, PLANTAGINACEAE: *Plantago lanceolata (Lamb's Tongues, Plantain *Plantago major (Plantago major), Stemodia sp. PORTULACACEAE: Portulaca oleracea (Pigweed, Munyeroo, Purslane) SCROPHULARIACEAE: *Antirrhinum orontium = Misopates orontium sp,. *Russelia equisetiformis, *Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, Veronica sp. (there are 27 species) VERBENACEAE: *Lantana camara (Lantana), *Phyla canescens, *P. nodiflora (Lippia, Carpet Weed, Frog fruit), *Verbena bonariensis (Purpletop),
Habitat where found at Claire Cottage: Open situations in garden areas and on edge of the Rainforest.
Thought to be breeding at Claire Cottage: Yes
Flight habit: Throughout the day.
First warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: N/A - sighted all year
Last warm season sighting - Claire Cottage: N/A - sighted all year
INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS
A common butterfly, found all over Australia, it has a wide range of food plants - even more than listed. It is a very fast flyer and settles frequently, most often on the ground.
In September 2007 and October 2008 warm westerly winds brought large migrating numbers of this butterfly to our property.
Obligingly for the photographer it sits with its wings open. Flashing its eye spots is said to frighten birds. It is the eye spots that help tell it apart from the Painted Lady.
At 20.30 (08.30pm) on 08/02/19 a Meadow Argus was attracted to our moth light. This is the first and only time this species has been attracted to visit our moth light after dark. A brief thunder storm was winding down with the rain having reduced to a short period of large drops falling.