Green butterflies, such as Common green birdwing, Tailed jay, or Malachite, come in various shades and patterns and frequent many different habitats. The green color helps them blend into their environment, making them difficult to spot among the greenery.
Common Green Birdwing Butterfly
The Common green birdwing (Ornithoptera priamus), or the Cape York birdwing, is a large butterfly of the family Papilionidae. The upperside of male forewings is black with a bright green marginal stripe. The underside of the forewings is black with blue-green spots. The hindwings are green with a black border and black spots.
Females are dark brown with white spots on the forewings and hindwings. The head is black, and the abdomen is yellow. The thorax is black with a red hair coat on its underside.
Ornithoptera priamus pupa is yellowish-brown with gray veins, resembling dead green leaves. This camouflaging protects them from predators.
Birdwings are widespread in:
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- the Solomon Islands
- New Guinea
- Bismarck Archipelago
- Northeast Australia
- South Moluccas
Green Hairstreak Butterfly
The Green hairstreak (Callophrys rubi) is a small butterfly that has a reverse wing coloration. This butterfly wing’s underside is bright green with white spots. The upper side is dull brown. A Green hairstreak resembles a watercolor painting.
Green hairstreaks rest with their wings closed. Their flight season is from April to June. These butterflies live in various habitats, including heathlands, meadows, and chalk download,
Callophrys rubi is a resident of:
- North Africa
- Asia
- Scotland
- Siberia
- Wales
- Russia
Tailed Jay Butterfly
The Tailed jay (Graphium agamemnon) is a swallowtail butterfly also known as the Tailed green jay, Green-spotted triangle, or Green triangle. Tailed jays upperside is black with green spots. The underside is purple-brown with green spots and red spots on the margin of the hindwing.
The Tailed green jays are restless fliers that fly throughout the year. They have a short life cycle of about one month.
Graphium agamemnon ideal habitat is southern India, Australia, New Guinea, southern China, northern India, Solomon Islands, Thailand, and Nepal.
Malachite Butterfly
The Malachite (Siproeta stelenes) is a brush-footed butterfly with 3.3 inches to 4 inches (8.3 to 10.1) cm wingspan. These butterflies have a dark brown to black upperside with yellow-green or white-green patches. The underside is orange-brown with green patches. The winter variety is larger than the summer variety.
Adult Malachites feed on rooting fruit, flower nectar, and bat dung.
Siproeta stelenes range includes:
- Central America
- Brazil
- South Texas
- West Indies
- Kansas
- Southern Florida
Emerald Swallowtail Butterfly
The Emerald swallowtail butterfly (Papilio palinurus), Green-banded peacock or Emerald peacock, belongs to the genus Papilio. The dorsal surface of the wings has a dark green to black background covered with powdery green scales. The underside has a black background with blue, orange, and white spots.
The Emerald swallowtail host plants are from the rue and citrus family. Adult males are territorial and have swift, fast lights.
Papilio palinurus are found in South East Asia in various locations, including Burma, Indonesia, Philipines, and Sumatra.
Obrina Olivewing Butterfly
The Obrina olivewing butterfly (Nessaea obrinus) belongs to the family Nymphalidae. The upper side has a brown background with blue pigmentation. The underside is apple green with brown markings. The male hindwings have an orange median band that appears when the wings are open.
This butterfly appears throughout the year.
Nessaea obrinus is found in the Amazon forest, Colombia, Brazil, central Bolivia, and northern Argentina.
Dido Butterfly
The Dido butterfly (Philaethria dido) belongs to the family Nymphalidae. The dorsal surface of its wings has a black and green pattern. The underside has a similar coloration but with gray scales and brown streaks. This colorful butterfly is often confused with the Malachite butterfly. The distinction between the two is in the shape of the wings.
Dido butterflies have a rapid but agile flight, and they’re often seen in hot sunny weather. Males occasionally visit river beaches to extract mineral-rich moisture.
Philaethria dido thrives in Mexico, Central America, and South America.
Are green butterflies real?
Unlike pink butterflies, green butterflies are very real. Some are light green, like the Fast pale green butterfly (Colias philodice), and others are darker, like the Emerald swallowtail. Some yellow butterflies appear greenish, such as Brimstone butterflies. In some cases, blue butterflies may appear green, as the Blue morpho butterfly does.
What does the green butterfly symbolize?
Green butterflies bring good luck, positivity, love, and abundance. Seeing one may signify that you’re supposed to open up to others and let people enter your life.
Tabitha is a nature lover who loves nothing more than a day spent outdoors. With her introverted personality, she often finds herself seeking solitude in the outdoors. She loves the feeling of being surrounded by nature and the peace it brings her. She also finds herself drawn to the beauty that exists in this world, whether it’s a majestic waterfall or a butterfly fluttering by.