Eyed Cyclops Butterfly

     The Erites argentina ochreana Staudinger 1889 in the Philippines occurs only in Palawan and although widespread in distribution, it is usually not easy to find. This Eyed Cyclops is a deep forest species inhabiting forests with thick canopies and second growths overgrown by palms and Dinochloa bamboos. It prefers shaded, moist and dense forest habitats and cannot be seen flying in grasslands, residential and agricultural areas. Its occurrence ranges from shaded forests near sea level up to the mountain slopes around 500 masl. It is rarely seen in mangrove areas and seems to be absent in old-growth forests and mossy forests high up in the mountains.

Eyed Cyclops Butterfly

     The Eyed Cyclops is furtive in nature. It likes to sit on a leaf for several minutes without moving and usually very active only on the forest floor in the morning and late afternoon. They usually fly close to the ground, following the openings between trees and low vegetations on the forest floor and seldom fly over three meters in height even if they're spooked. The Erites argentina ochreana has a nice color pattern, but it’s indolent habit made it hard to find. Unlike some butterflies that are conspicuous on the forest floor, this species is hard to notice when it sits immobile for long minutes on the forest floor.