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giant owl butterfly

Caligo telamonius memnon

Description:

The enormous Owl Butterfly, also called the Giant Owl has a brown underside with false "eye" spots to deter predators. With wings spread open it mimics an owl's face. Native to Mexico.

Habitat:

This owl butterfly resides at the Audubon Society's butterfly garden and insectarium in New Orleans, Louisiana.

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5 Comments

mary.gallo.m
mary.gallo.m 9 years ago

Thanks herandezwolf99.

hernandezwolf99
hernandezwolf99 9 years ago

Wow, just amazing!

mary.gallo.m
mary.gallo.m 10 years ago

Thank you Bayucca for your expertise. Appreciate it. Based on the websites you provided, I'm calling it caligo telamonious memnon. Cannot identify it any further than that. The butterfly that I spotted in the garden is so worn and torn. It must be an old butterfly.

bayucca
bayucca 10 years ago

Caligo sp. is correct, but I do not think it is Caligo idomeneus, shape and spots are different and the open wing shot has more blue than yours:
http://neotropicalbutterflies.com/Site%2...
From the paler area I would guess Caligo telamonius and Caligo telamonius memnon, often only called Caligo memnon, but yours is too worn to be that sure.
http://butterfliesofamerica.com/caligo_t...
http://neotropicalbutterflies.com/Site%2...

john.fermanis.sr
john.fermanis.sr 10 years ago

Great images.

mary.gallo.m
Spotted by
mary.gallo.m

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

Spotted on Jan 31, 2014
Submitted on Feb 23, 2014

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