Giant Owl Butterfly

Caligo memnon

The Giant Owl Butterfly is a huge, spectacular tropical butterfly with enormous owl-eye patterns on the undersides of its hindwings used to startle predators. It is a rare stray into extreme southern Texas from Mexico. It flies at dusk and dawn, and adults feed primarily on rotting fruit. Its wingspan can exceed 6 inches, making it one of the largest butterflies in the Americas.

Habitat

Tropical forests; rare vagrant to southern Texas

Diet

Larvae: banana and related plants. Adults: rotting fruit

How common

Very rare

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