August 27, 2006

An Owl Butterfly By Any Other Name

I must say it was a bit disconcerting staring at this huge butterfly. It was as big as my hand, literally. The large eye spots on its wings resemble owl eyes - hence its interesting name. These fake eyes help keep predators from attacking the butterflies since large eyes give the impression that they also accompany an equally large body. Interestingly, many owl butterflies found in the wild sometimes have a piece of their back wing missing. Most likely because the birds are fooled into attacking the butterflies there instead of on their body which is definitely the more vital part.

Owl butterflies like to eat bananas and fruits. Aren't they so healthy?! We humans should learn something them!

By the way, this was taken at the amazing Butterfly Conservatory of Mackinac Island. To read more about our visit at the conservatory, check out this post. Hope you'll get a chance to visit this magical place!

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