| Illioneus giant owl | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Caligo |
| Species: | C. illioneus |
| Binomial name | |
| Caligo illioneus (Cramer, 1775) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Caligo illioneus, the Illioneus giant owl, is an owl butterfly belonging to the nymphalid family, Morphinae subfamily, tribe Brassolini. [1]
The genus Latin name Caligo means "darkness" and may refer to the active periods, as these butterflies preferentially fly in dusk. The specific name illioneus derives from Ilionesus, a Trojan companion of Aeneas in Virgil's Aeneid .
Caligo illioneus has a wingspan reaching about 12–15 centimetres (4.7–5.9 in). In this large owl butterfly the dorsal sides of the wings vary from light brilliant blue to purplish with dark brown edges, while the undersides have a highly cryptic dull brown color, with huge yellow-rimmed eyespots resembling to the eyes of an owl.
In the early stage the caterpillars are greenish with yellow stripes along the body, about 10 centimetres (3.9 in) long. Later they are light brown with dark brown longitudinal stripes, about 12 centimetres (4.7 in) long. The caterpillars grow on banana plants, causing the destruction of large areas of banana plantations, while the adults mainly feed on the juices of fermenting fruits.
The species is native to Costa Rica and it is widespread in most of South America, particularly in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Peru, and Venezuela.
This owl butterfly lives in South American rainforests and secondary forests.
The owl butterflies are species of the genus Caligo and are known for their huge eyespots, which resemble owls' eyes. They are found in the rainforests and secondary forests of Mexico, Central and South America.
Caligo eurilochus, the forest giant owl, is an owl butterfly ranging from Mexico, through Central America, to the Amazon River basin in South America. It is a very large butterfly, among the largest in its family, with a wingspan up to 17 centimetres. The type locality is Suriname.
Morpho achilles, the Achilles morpho, blue-banded morpho, or banded blue morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly.
Morpho deidamia, the Deidamia morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly. It is found in Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Suriname, Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil. It is a species group, which may be, or may not be several species. Many subspecies have been described.
Morpho theseus, the Theseus morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly. It is found in Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Honduras and Guatemala.
Parides erithalion, the variable cattleheart, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Papilionidae. The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1836.
Papilio zagreus is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae (swallowtails). It is found in South America, including Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia and western Brazil.
Parides iphidamas, the Iphidamas cattleheart or Transandean cattleheart, is a species of Neotropical butterfly in the family Papilionidae.
Panacea prola, the prola beauty or red flasher, is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found from Costa Rica to southern Brazil, but is most common in the foothills of the eastern Peruvian Andes.
Prepona laertes, the shaded-blue leafwing or Laertes prepona, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in large parts of Central and South America.
Pieriballia is a genus of butterflies in the family Pieridae erected by Alexander Barrett Klots in 1933. Its only species, Pieriballia viardi, the painted white or viardi white, was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1836. It is found from Mexico to Bolivia and Paraguay. Strays can be found in southern Texas in the United States. The habitat consists of rainforests and transitional cloud forests.
Melete lycimnia, the common melwhite, primrose flag or lycimnia white flag, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found from Texas in the United States to Bolivia. The habitat consists of lowland rainforests.
Itaballia pandosia, the Pisonis mimic or brown-bordered white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found in the Amazonian regions of Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, and in Central America, Colombia and Venezuela. The habitat consists of primary rainforests. It may be a mimic of Moschoneura pinthous
Eryphanis automedon, the Automedon giant owl, is a species of butterfly belonging to the family Nymphalidae.
Opsiphanes cassina, the split-banded owlet, is a species of butterfly belonging to the family Nymphalidae.
Marpesia zerynthia, the waiter daggerwing, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Primarily found in Mesoamerica, it can also be observed in regions slightly north and south of this area.
Caligo oileus, the Oileus giant owl, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
Morpho telemachus is a Neotropical butterfly.
Antirrhea philoctetes, the common brown morpho or northern antirrhea, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It was described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. It is found in Costa Rica, Panama, Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela, the Guianas, Peru, Brazil and Bolivia.
Caligo teucer, the Teucer owl butterfly is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It was described by Carl Linnaeus his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. It is found from Colombia and Venezuela to Bolivia and Paraguay. The habitat consists of rainforests and cloudforests at altitudes ranging from 400 to 1,400 meters.
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