Owl butterfly (Caligo sp), Arima Valley, Trinidad
The neotropical owl butterflies are enormous, up to 20 cm across. This image is rather unsatisfactory: the insect is feeding on rotting fallen fruit -- they have a penchant for bananas -- which provides a disruptive background. Apart from the under-wing "eye", which it uses to intimidate predators (mainly lizards), it is well camouflaged. And it prefers to fly at dusk.
180114 323
Bananenfalter sp. Калиго sp.
Owl butterfly (Caligo sp), Arima Valley, Trinidad
The neotropical owl butterflies are enormous, up to 20 cm across. This image is rather unsatisfactory: the insect is feeding on rotting fallen fruit -- they have a penchant for bananas -- which provides a disruptive background. Apart from the under-wing "eye", which it uses to intimidate predators (mainly lizards), it is well camouflaged. And it prefers to fly at dusk.
180114 323
Bananenfalter sp. Калиго sp.