A worldwide community photographing and learning about wildlife
Project Noah Nature School
Caligo atreus
Butterflies in the genus Caligo are commonly called owl butterflies, after their huge eyespots, which resemble owls' eyes. They are found in the rainforests and secondary forests of Mexico, Central and South America. Owl butterflies are very large, 65–200 millimetres (2.6–7.9 in), and fly only a few metres 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. The Latin name may possibly refer to their active periods. Caligo means darkness.
Spotted in the Amsterdam Zoo
Spotted on Jul 8, 2011
Submitted on Jul 8, 2011
+1
