Butterflies in the Rain Forest
- Swallowtail butterflies are big, brightly-colored butterflies with more than 550 species worldwide, the majority of which can be found in tropical rain forests. An example of swallowtail butterflies is the birdwing, which is the largest butterfly in the world. They can be found in rain forests from Australia to Asia. Birdwings are so-named because they have a large wingspan of 12 inches, bigger than the wingspan of many birds. The female birdwings have a different color from the male birdwings. The females have a mainly dark-brown color with yellow and creamy white markings, while the more colorful and smaller males are mainly lavender, yellow and pale blue against a black background. Birdwings spend most of their adult lives high in the canopy of the rain forests where they feed on the nectar from flowers that grow in such high elevations. Other rain forest butterflies that fall within this group include the spicebush swallowtail, false Apollo, mountain Apollo and southern festoon.
- This group of butterflies are the second largest in the world with more than 6,000 species. The red pierrot is a member of this group that is found in the rain forests. It is a small butterfly with a wingspan of between 3 to 3.5 cm. This butterfly is found in the rain forests of southeast Asia and south Asia. The red pierrot is a weak flier, who can only fly in short, sporadic bursts. It often perches in the shady parts of the jungle or undergrowth where it rests with closed wings, displaying the bright markings on the underside of its wings. Another species of butterfly in this group is the Karner blue butterfly.
- The metalmarks are a group of butterflies that are so-named due to the rusty-metallic looking spots on their wings. There are more than 1,000 species of metalmarks around the world and many species are found in rain forests. The plum Judy is a species of metalmarks, which is widely distributed in the rain forests in Asia. The plum Judy can often be found amidst foliage, perched on tree tops, or moving from branch to branch. Another butterfly in this group is the spot Judy, which resembles plum Judy, but with differing characteristics like a slightly smaller size and slightly different markings on the body and wings.
- The brush-footed butterflies or four-footed butterflies are colorful butterflies with about 5,000 species worldwide. While most of these butterflies are bright on top, the underside of their wings are mostly dull, giving them the appearance of dead leaves, which helps them to blend into their surroundings when they are in the rain forests. Examples of butterflies in this family include tortoiseshells, fritillaries and admirals.
