Butterflies...(Lemon pancy)

To catch butterflies in camera is a bit challenging especially because of their random movements which in one way could be one of their strategies to evade from their predators.. This Lemon pancy was spotted in the Regional Institute of Education, Mysore near the Godavari Guest House on the 8th of August 2015 when I had been there for a workshop for teachers..

From Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junonia_lemonias

Junonia lemonias, the lemon pansy, is a common nymphalid butterfly found in South. It is found in gardens, fallow land, and open wooded areas. The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies with about 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called brush-footed butterflies or four-footed butterflies; because they are known to stand on only four legs while the other two are curled up;

It is brown with numerous eye-spots as well as black and lemon-yellow spots and lines on the upperside of the wings. The underside is a dull brown, with a number of wavy lines and spots in varying shades of brown and black. There is also an eyespot on the lower side of the forewing. The wet and dry season forms differ considerably in coloration and even shape. In the wet season form the markings are distinct and vivid and the wing shape is a little more rounded. In the dry season form the markings are obscure and pale especially on the underside and the wing margin is more angular and jagged. This helps it camouflage in the dried leaf-litter. The lemon pansy is a very active butterfly and can be seen basking with its wings open facing the sun. It sits very low to the ground and can be approached easily. It feeds with its wings half open. It is a fairly strong flier and flies close to the ground with rapid wing beats and often returns to settle back in the same spots.