Eye See You

Eye See You, a photo by Megan Lorenz on Flickr.

Owl Butterfly
Costa Rica

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 (2.6–7.9 inches) 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. The Latin name may possibly refer to their active periods. Caligo means darkness. There are approximately 20 species in this genus.