Owl butterfly
Members of brush-footed butterfly genus Caligo / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Not to be confused with Hamadryas (butterfly).
"Caligo" redirects here. For the deity, see Achlys.
The owl butterflies are species of the genus Caligo and are known for their huge eyespots, which resemble owls' eyes. They are found in the rainforests and secondary forests of Mexico, Central and South America.
Quick Facts Scientific classification, Type species ...
Owl butterflies | |
---|---|
Caligo martia, underside | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Nymphalidae |
Tribe: | Brassolini |
Genus: | Caligo Hübner, [1819] |
Type species | |
Caligo eurilochus Cramer, 1775 | |
Diversity | |
Some 20 species | |
Synonyms | |
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Owl butterflies are very large, 65–200 mm (2.6–7.9 in), and fly only a few meters at a time, so avian predators have little difficulty in following them to their settling place. However, the butterflies preferentially fly in dusk, when few avian predators are around.[1] The Latin name may possibly refer to their active periods; caligo means darkness.