Owl eye butterflies

[Tanuki]

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/spotlight-owl-butterfly.html



..."Researchers think the dark owl eyes on its wings are a case of camouflage, warding off predators by confusing them. Animals and small birds hesitate or flee when they see the face of a potential predator, allowing the butterfly to escape.

With a wingspan of up to 20 centimetres, the species is the largest butterfly in the Americas, and is easy to spot in butterfly houses, where they certainly make their presence known.
...

Caterpillars of the species are similarly impressive, reaching 15 centimetres in length.

They have horns on their heads and small forked tails, resembling huge slugs with black spikes along the spine.

The caterpillars feed on banana trees and sugar cane, and eat so much they are considered a pest around plantations."...(more)

[EYESORE 9001]

1. Makes me wonder

how many generations it took for this insect to evolve that survival adaptation. How many dead ends were encountered before getting a fake owl eye correct?

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Maybe not so many. Nature was not looking for that particular result...

so whatever random pattern that popped up and worked survived.

[MontanaMama]

2. Here's species of owl eye butterfly

on my kiddo in 2018 at a butterfly house when we were on middle school trip to Belize. Beautiful creatures.

[Demovictory9]

4. huge!