The Owl butterfly species (family Nymphalidae) includes the Pale owl, the Forest giant owl, the Yellow-edged giant owl, and several other subspecies. These butterflies mostly live in Mexico, South America, and Central America and are unique for large dark markings on their wings resembling an owl’s eyes.
What do owl butterflies look like?
An Owl butterfly’s wingspan ranges from 2 to 8 inches. This makes it one of the largest butterflies in Central and South America.
The ventral side of the butterfly wings showcases gray and brown colors and large, black eyespots surrounded by yellow rings.
The forewings display yellowish cream-colored scales that fade into the dark blue hues on the lateral parts of the body. The ventral side of some subspecies showcases a purplish blue with hints of brown shades.
genus caligo subspecies comparison
| Pale owl (Caligo memnon) | dark dorsal view, undersides contain prominent “eyes of an owl” on both hindwings |
| Forest giant owl butterfly (Caligo eurilochus) | some light yellow shades are present on the edges of the forewings, and the underside has a large owl eye |
| Yellow-edged giant owl (Caligo atreus) | recognizable for a thick yellow stripe on its hindwings and overall purplish upperside |
The Owl butterfly Caterpillar Description
Owl butterfly caterpillars can be up to 6 inches long. Their instars resemble giant slugs. They have small forked tails and horns on their reddish heads. Black spikes encompass the dorsal side of their thoraxes. Advanced stages of caterpillars become pale green.
Free Butterfly Garden Mastery Course
Sign up for our five-email course that will teach you how to identify, observe and attract butterflies to your garden.
Why are they called Owl butterflies?
Most Owl butterflies have prominent eyespots on the underside of their wings. When looked at from afar, these eyespots look like owls’ eyes. Caligo also means darkness.
What kind of environment do Owl butterflies prefer?
While these butterflies love a slight drizzle from time to time, they do not thrive in areas with heavy rainfall. Some of the habitats that Owl butterflies live in include:
- Agricultural areas
- Lowland forests
- Secondary forests
- Shady parts of the forests
- Banana plantations
- Rainforests
Owl butterflies live in Mexico, South America, and Central America.
Usual Host Plants and diet
Caterpillars’ host plants include bananas and sugar cane. They eat so much of these that people consider them pests. Adult butterflies prefer eating fermenting fruits to fresh flowers, especially if in captivity. Here are their specific preferences:
- Mangoes
- Bananas
- Pineapples
They would also go for the following in case they can’t find the fermented fruits mentioned above:
- Sugar cane plantations
- Tree sap
- Large mammals’ dung
Behavior and flight
Because they love drinking fermented juice, Owl butterflies usually “get drunk” after a drinking spree. This condition is not dangerous for the butterflies. When this happens, they just drop to the ground until some time passes, and they can fly again.
Male Owl butterflies are competitive in securing a mate during the breeding season. They fight among themselves to attract at least one female adult butterfly.
Unlike most butterfly species, Owl butterflies are nocturnal. They are most active at night, and their activities peak at dawn and dusk. One of the main reasons they are primarily nocturnal (or crepuscular) is to prevent close encounters with diurnal predators.
Owl butterflies do not fly for long bouts at a time. Instead, they fly for a few feet and then look for a safe place to rest. They are rarely diurnal but still manage to hide during the day, thanks to their wings’ color and configuration.
Both caterpillars and adult butterflies rest against shaded brown tree barks to conceal themselves from predators. This is especially important in daylight.
Defense against predators
Adult butterflies position their wings vertically. This way, they make it seem that their eyespots are that of an owl’s – intently looking at their surroundings for possible prey. This discourages predators from getting near them because they avoid facing something larger than them.
If this approach doesn’t work and predators continue tailing them, they flash their wings to show the large eyespots. This is usually enough to deter the predators.
Even if they lose the outer parts of their wings, they’ll manage to fly away and survive the blow. They can lose about half of each wing and still fly if those parts aren’t directly attached to their thoraxes or abdomens.
Usual Predators
The Owl butterfly’s poor endurance for prolonged flights makes it an ideal target for predators like:
- Birds
- Large spiders
- Lizards
- Small mammals
- Wasps
What do Owl butterflies symbolize?
These butterflies are here to remind people that life is short. Owl butterflies also symbolize the process of spiritual transformation.
Joan is a nocturnal person who loves traveling and coffee. She’s also an animal lover (and rescuer) who makes it a point to befriend every animal she meets. Her passion for learning led her to writing about various topics. As someone who is a nature lover, she aims to continue learning about the wonderful creation—especially butterflies, and at the same time, share her knowledge here at Butterfly Hobbyist.