Bug FAQMeadow Argus
Junonia villida · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
Also called: Australian Meadow Argus, Meadow Argus Butterfly
The meadow argus is a small butterfly with a wingspan of about 4 cm in males and 4.3 cm in females, showing brown wings with distinctive black-blue eyespots and orange-white edge markings. It lives across mainland Australia and many nearby islands, migrates northward each October-November, and its caterpillars eat a variety of garden plants. The life cycle includes eggs hatching in about a week, a larval stage of 4-5 weeks, and pupae that are usually black with white and reddish-yellow spots, lasting 2-3 weeks (-).
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The upper side of each wing is brown with two black-blue eyespots and orange-white markings near the edges. The underside is mostly plain, except the lower forewing mirrors some of the upper-side markings.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Males have a wingspan of about 4 cm, while females are slightly larger at 4.3 cm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Each year in October or November the species moves from southern Australia toward warmer northern areas.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Eggs hatch in 7-10 days. The larval stage lasts 4-5 weeks. Pupae are usually black with white and reddish-yellow spots and remain for 2-3 weeks.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Migration occurs each October-November from southern to northern regions.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
It is found throughout mainland Australia, Tasmania, several islands, New Zealand, and parts of the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
Lookalikes
In the United Kingdom it has appeared only as an accidental import and is called Albin's Hampstead eye.
Source: Wikipedia
Questions people ask
Are meadow argus caterpillars a garden pest?
Caterpillars feed on a wide range of garden plants, but the sources do not say they cause serious damage.
Source: Wikipedia
When do meadow argus butterflies migrate?
They migrate northward each October or November.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I find meadow argus butterflies?
They are native to mainland Australia, nearby islands, New Zealand, and parts of the Pacific and Southeast Asia.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meadow_argus
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.