Owl Butterfly - Tropical Disguise Miracle

The tropical forests of South America are full of life, colorful colors flicker in the green foliage. Local insects have found many mechanisms to protect them from enemies. The most effective is camouflage. The wings of tropical moths are covered with drawings resembling birds of prey or snakes. Owl butterfly got its name for a workshop imitating the appearance of a bird. Two large eyes on the back of the hind wings and the surrounding patterns reliably reproduce the owl's face. Attacking predators in fear retreat, seeing instead of a defenseless moth a formidable enemy.

Gender Description

Butterfly Owl Kaligo (Owlbutterflies Caligo) belongs to the nymphalidae family. The genus of large Lepidoptera combined more than 20 species of variegated tropical moths. Wingspan 120-160 mm, in individual specimens 200 mm. The main color is brown and brown. This feature is reflected in the name of the genus Caligo, which means "gloomy." But not all species are boring and dark, there are elegant butterflies with a purple tint, beige and orange spots.

The reverse side of the wings is an intricate pattern of spots, wavy lines and stripes. In the central part of the hind wings there is a large black circle with a yellow edging that visually resembles the eye of an owl. The body is fusiform, densely covered with hairs. The eyes of the facet type occupy most of the head. The antennae are filiform.

Views of Kaligo

Representatives of 20 species of owl butterflies differ in size, color and taste preferences of caterpillars. Among the most interesting and common types:

1. Caligomartia is a dark brown imago with a blue tint on the hind wings. In the center of the front pair of wings there are bright fields. Caterpillars feed on fodder cereal crops: common bramble and pinnacle purple or elephant grass.
2. Caligoeurilochus is a species that includes the largest owl butterflies with a wingspan of 160-180 mm. Color shimmers with various shades of blue. The underside of the wings with a characteristic pattern of the eyes. A typical habitat is the Amazon basin, Republic of Suriname.
3. Caligobeltrao lives in Brazil, wingspan 120 mm. The color is purple, black fields are closer to the edge. The front wings end in orange spots. The reverse side of the wings of an owl butterfly, as seen in the photo, is covered with tiger stripes. In the center of the hind wings are two large eyes with an oval shape. Fodder plants of the offspring: zebrin calathea, banana, crowned hedichium.

Distribution area

Owl butterflies live in Central and South America. They inhabit the dense, humid forests of the Amazon. The genus Caligo is found in Brazil, Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Colombia and Peru. In smaller numbers found in Mexico. Insects prefer flat forests, but can settle in the mountains at an altitude of up to 1,500 m.

Lifestyle & Reproduction

Butterflies spend most of their time sitting still on branches or trunks of trees. During the dormant period, they fold their wings behind the back of the house, while their reverse side is visible with a colorful pattern and eyes. The drawing on the wing of Kaligo is a peculiar form of mimicry. Small animals are afraid to approach objects with a bright iris and a large black pupil.They resemble the eyes of large predators.
The natural enemy of tropical butterflies is the anolis tree forest lizard. Reptiles 10-30 cm in size cleverly climb trees where they hunt slow insects. Having noticed a predator, kaligo fall on their back and open their wings, showing a camouflage pattern. In most cases, lizards recede.

Kaligo moths are active at dusk, they fly in search of overripe fermented fruit early in the morning or in the afternoon before sunset. Butterflies descend from trees to the ground, open proboscis and drink sweet juice.

Breeding

After long courtship and courtship flights, Kaligo butterflies mate on branches. The female lays a large number of eggs on banana leaves. After 5-7 days, small caterpillars appear. Not all laid eggs give offspring, some die. Larvae of the first age are white, orange or brown stripes pass along the body. After molting, their color changes to green, spikes appear on the body and horns on the back of the head.

Information. Caligo butterflies are characterized by rivalry of males for the attention of females and prolonged courtship of a partner. Sexual dimorphism is manifested in the size of adults - the females are larger.

Adult larvae are brown in color, the body is covered with hairs, on the last segment of the abdomen there are two “tails”. Caterpillars feed at night, rest in the middle of the leaf during the day. Larvae keep in groups, stacking one after another. The head of each subsequent caterpillar lies on the tip of the abdomen of the previous one. At the last age, brown caterpillars mask on the stem of banana leaves. Pupae are greenish or brown; pupation occurs on a fodder plant.

Home Content

An owl butterfly is a great option for keeping a home. She is not shy, quickly gets used to the presence of a person, sits on her hand. There are no problems feeding the pet. In captivity, it is enough to put chopped oranges, ripe bananas, and plum peaches in front of the insects. The butterfly itself unwinds the spiral proboscis and starts feeding. Feeding occurs once a day, takes 5-15 minutes.

Kaligo loves sugary drinks like homemade wine. Suitable conditions for the moth are:

• room temperature - 23-28 ° C;
• humidity not lower than 60-70%.

Compliance with the humidity regime is extremely important for the health of lepidopteran. Their limbs and wings quickly dry out and crumble. It is necessary to maintain humidity by periodically spraying the insect itself, from a distance of about 1 m. A wet towel is left in the container where the butterfly will be placed. The adults of the genus Caligo live in natural conditions for 20-21 days. With proper care, they will live 2-3 months.