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Owl butterfly
Caligo illioneusAndean region

  • Generalities
  • Morpho-functionality
  • Lifecycle
  • Distribution

RECORRIDO VIRTUAL POR LA BIODIVERSIDAD DE COLOMBIA
Museo de Historia Natural
Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Owl butterfly
Caligo illioneus

This diurnal butterfly has a life cycle of about three months from egg to adult. The caterpillar is known as the goat worm because of its hairy appearance and thick antennae that resemble the horns of a goat. The adults feed on the nectar of flowers and fruits, in many sugarcane crops the larva of this butterfly is a plant health problem.

Conservation status

Extinct

Extinct in the Wild

Critically Endangered

Endangered

Vulnerable

Near Threatened

Least Concern

Not Evaluated

Data Deficient

Morpho-functionality

Wings

The designs of their wings are formed thanks to the coverage of small scales that are arranged as an old roof of tiles.

Antennae

By means of the antenna it orients itself at night following the smells and pheromones around it.

Flight

Their large hind wings are key to evade predators as these allow them to change their flight direction quickly.

Lifecycle

They lay their eggs mainly in the dark, in groups of nine arranged as a row on the median vein of the inner side of leaves of various species of grasses. The larvae take six days to emerge. The larva will go through six instars that will last around 44-49 days in total. The next phase is the pupa, which lasts for about 13-15 days, with the appearance of a dry and twisted leaf. Males have a maximum wing width or wingspan of 105 mm and females 120 mm. The coloration in males is more intense and has a bright area on the inner margin at the anal angle of the hind wings.

Owl butterfly

Distribution

It is exclusive to the Neotropics and has subspecies distributed from Costa Rica through Trinidad, Colombia and Suriname to the North of Paraguay and Bolivia. It is common to find it in rain forests and secondary forests.

Distribution area