EASY GARDEN BUTTERFLIES
African Yellow PansyJunonia hierta cebrene
The African Yellow Pansy is one of the Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies), subfamily Nymphalinae (Admirals, Pansies etc.).
Pansies are small to medium-sized butterflies with a wingspan of between 40 and 60mm. They get their common name from the way some of them resemble pansy flowers. African Yellow Pansy is one of these; its bright yellow markings have a ‘face-like’ pattern if you use your imagination a bit!
The combination of bright yellow, metallic blue, and jet black makes it one of our most attractive garden butterflies. This is a male; females are similar but have more extensive black markings. The underside is coloured in shades of brown and grey, camouflaging it when resting on the ground or amongst dead leaves.
Distribution
The African Yellow Pansy is found all over South Africa except the most arid Karoo areas. They’ve followed their host plants, which are popular with gardeners, as far as Cape Town. It’s commoner inland in grassland and savanna areas than it is at the coast although it can occur anywhere its host plants grow. It’s widespread in Africa and its other subspecies are found across Asia as far as eastern India.
Egg
African Yellow Pansy egg
Junonia hierta cebrene
The female African Yellow Pansy hides her tiny, pale yellow-green, barrel-shaped eggs on young shoots of the host plant. Laid singly, they are about 0.6mm diameter by 0.6mm high. They taper slightly at the top, and have about 12-16 longitudinal ribs with fine cross-ribs. The egg stage lasts three to six days but can take longer in cold conditions.
Caterpillar
African Yellow Pansy larva
Junonia hierta cebrene
Fully-grown African Yellow Pansy caterpillars are brownish grey in colour with a creamy yellow double stripe along the back and short yellow lines along the side. They have rows of short, branched, black spines. Although spiny they don’t sting or make you itch. They grow from 1.5mm to 40-45mm over one to two months depending on weather conditions. There are normally four moults but when growth is slow there can be up to six. This one is on its Barleria host plant.
Pupa/Chrysalis
African Yellow Pansy pupa
Junonia hierta cebrene
The African Yellow Pansy pupa is variable in colour, from sandy to black through various shades of brown. It has the rounded shape typical of Pansy pupae and is usually formed low down on the host plant or in leaf debris where it is well camouflaged. Like all Nymphalidae pupae it is attached to its substrate by its tail. The pupa is 15-20mm long and the adult usually emerges after 2-3 weeks.
Host plants
African Yellow Pansy caterpillars feed on many different plants including Bush Violet Barleria obtusa, other Barleria species, Veld Violet Ruellia cordata, Ribbon Bush Hypoestes aristata, Justicia species, Butterfly Heaven Dyschoriste depressa and other Dyschoriste species. Most of the host plants are in the family Acanthaceae.
Bush Violet
Barleria obtusa
Veld Violet
Ruellia cordata
Veld Justicia
Justicia protracta
Butterfly Heaven
Dyschoriste depressa
How to attract them
Gardeners can promote the presence of this butterfly by cultivating its preferred host plants and creating a sunny, sheltered environment with an abundance of nectar-rich flowers.
Provided you have plenty of nectar plants in your garden, you’re very likely to see them. They love to sit drinking nectar from garden flowers and bask in the sun slowly opening and closing their wings.