Banded Peacock

Description:

A Banded Peacock butterfly spotted in Tortuguero, Costa Rica. Parental care in this species is non-existent. The eggs are laid in low-lying host plant leaves and flower bracts. Several hundred are laid by a single female within the span of a few days, with only a small percentage of the eggs surviving to adulthood. Eggs take five days to hatch and the larvae complete six instar phases before pupation. After pupation is complete, adults emerge and fly off within 1–2 hours.