Brazilian Owl

In a butterfly house you can see several species of the owl butterfly, so-called due to the large false eyes they exhibit with closed wings. The big eyes deceive and intimidate predators, making them think that the butterfly is too big to deal with. The ‘eyes’ look even more realistic due to the white markings that resemble the same reflections you can see on real glossy eyes. Due to the ‘powder’ coating of the wings, butterflies cannot appear glossy without such markings. With open wings, most species of owl butterflies exhibit a dull colouration.