Wing detail of an Owl butterfly (Caligo sp.)

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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 mm, 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.

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Size: 2848px × 4287px
Location: Chapultepec, Mexico
Photo credit: © Guillermo Lopez Barrera / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: big, butterfly, caligo, chapultepec, detail, disguise, eye, eyespots, fake, macro, mexico, owl, sp., wings