The Owl (Caligo memnon) at 6 inches wide is the largest butterfly in Costa Rica. While not considered as glamorous as the blue morpho or some of the other brilliantly colored species in Costa Rica, I think the Owl holds his own in the butterfly beauty sweepstakes. The upperside of the wings (when the wings are open) are two shades of brown – a creamy mocha with dark chocolate fringes. The hindwing underside pattern (when the wings are folded) reveals a large eyespot in the middle of the wing which superficially resembles the eye or face of an Owl, hence the butterfly’s name. There are various theories on the function of the large eyespot. One of the most popular is that the eye pattern confuses or scares away potential predators - mostly small birds or small lizards. I have observed this butterfly in two locales – La Paz Waterfall Garden in Costa Rica and Mindo Butterfly Garden in Ecuador.

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