| Idomeneus Owl-Butterfly (Caligo idomeneus) (Linnaeus, 1758) |
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Caligo idomeneus is found in wet tropical forests and banana plantations of South America east of the Andes, from Colombia and the Guianas to southeastern Brazil and northern Argentina; 4-9 subspecies were described. The upperside in this species is dark-brown with violet-blue iridescence and a whitish line extending diagonally across the forewing. The underside is a mosaic of fine brown and white lines with several eye-like spots. The wingspan is 110-150 mm. These butterflies are active for brief periods very early in the morning or at dusk, spending the rest of time perched in tree trunks. The adults feed on rotting fruit, and the caterpillar on the leaves of native Heliconia spp., and cultivated bananas (Musa spp.). Our sincere thanks to Dr. Jorge Bizarro for correct identification of this species.
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