Owl Butterfly vs Common Tree Nymph

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Owl Butterfly Common Tree Nymph
Scientific Name Caligo memnon Idea stolli
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Nymphalidae Nymphalidae
Size Wingspan 120-160mm 130-170 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Forests
Diet Herbivores Nectar Feeders
Regions South America, North America Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Borneo, Sulawesi, Philippines, Maluku)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Owl Butterfly

A very large tropical butterfly with enormous owl-eye patterns on the underside of its hindwings. The uppersides are deep blue-purple.

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Did You Know?

The large eyespots on its underwings closely resemble the face of a screech owl which startles would-be predators.

Common Tree Nymph

A very large butterfly with translucent white wings heavily veined and spotted in black. It flies with a slow, lazy, paper-kite fluttering motion through the forest understory.

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Did You Know?

Its slow, floating flight advertises its toxicity to predators - the caterpillars store alkaloids from their host plants that persist into adulthood.