Butterfly Species

Species to see

at the butterfly farm

Learn more about the various different species you will see when you visit. Compiled by Sarah Moore our entomology student currently on a work placment with us.

Postman Butterfly

South America

Postman

Common Grass Butterfly

South Asia

Common Grass Yellow

Glasswing Butterfly

Central and South America

Glasswing

South Asia

Large Tree Nymph

Idea leuconoe, also known as the paper kite butterflyrice paper butterfly or large tree nymph is known for its presence in our butterfly house. They are of Southeast Asian origin, but can also be found in Northern Australia and Southern Taiwan.

Did you know?
The Large Tree Nymph has a wingspan of 120 to 140mm!

Great Orange Tip Butterfly

South Asia

Great Orange Tip

Scarlet mormon butterfly

Philippines

Scarlet Mormon

Blue Clipper Butterfly

South East Asia

Blue Clipper

Owl Butterfly

South America

Owl Butterfly

The Owl butterflies are species of the genus Caligo and are known for their huge eyespots, which resemble owls' eyes. They are found in the rainforests of Mexico, Central and South America.

Did you know?
With a wingspan of 65 - 200mm Owl butterflies are very large and fly only a few metres at a time!

South Asia

Chocolate Albatross

Striped Blue Crow Butterfly

South Asia

Striped Blue Crow

Black Pansy Butterfly

Africa

Black Pansy

Green Birdwing butterfly

Australia

Green Birdwing

The Common Green Birdwing (Ornithoptera priamus) has an average wingspan of 180 - 220mm and belongs to the genus Ornithoptera that contains the largest and most spectacular butterflies of the world.

Did you know?
The butterfly gets its specific name of ‘priamus’ after Priam – the king of Troy during the Trojan War.

Blue Pansy Butterfly

South Asia

Blue Pansy

Small Blue Grecian

South American

Small Blue Grecian

Southern Cattleheart Butterfly

South America

Southern Cattleheart

Blue Morpho Butterfly

South America

Blue Morpho

The Blue Morpho butterfly has vivid blue wings that are edged with black. With wingspans anywhere between 125 and 200mm, they are among the largest butterflies in the world.

Did you know?
Blue Morphos' wings are not actually blue! The blue is not caused by pigmentation; it is caused by the way light reflects off of microscopic scales on the back of their wings.

Small Owl Butterfly

Australia

Small Owl

Ismenius Longwing

South America

Ismenius Longwing

Plain Tiger Butterfly

South Asia

Plain Tiger

Lacewing Butterfly

South Asia

Lacewing

Cethosia biblis is medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan reaching about 80 - 90mm.
Their astonishing pattern helps to disguise the shape of the butterfly, while the intense colour of the dorsal sides of the wings is a warning to predators it tastes bad due to the poisonous host plants eaten by the caterpillars.

Did you know?
Adults are most active in the morning and feed on nectar.

Blue Spotted Emperor Butterfly

Africa

Blue-Spotted Emperor

Peacock Pansy Butterfly

South Asia

Peacock Pansy

Zebra Longwing Butterfly

South America

Zebra Longwing

Malachite Butterfly

South America

Malachite

The Malachite (Siproeta stelenes) is a species of tropical butterflies and a member of the brush-footed butterfly group. They are one of the most familiar butterfly species in South America and are known for their unusual coloration and large size. In fact, with a wingspan of up to 100mm, they are one of the largest butterfly species of the world.

Did you know?
The Malachite gets its name from the mineral malachite that bears the same shade of green.

Mountain Blue Butterfly

Australia

Mountain Blue

Indian Leaf Butterfly

South Asia

Indian Leaf

Emerald Swallowtail Butterfly

South Asia

Emerald Swallowtail

Africa

Mocker Swallowtail

The males are pale yellow with black margins, or brown on the underside, and they have long tails on their hind wings. Their wingspan can be 100 - 120mm.

Did you know?
It can be hard to correctly identify the females because they can take a variety of forms. They mimic distasteful milkweed butterflies to avoid being eaten by predators.

Crow Swallowtail Butterfly

Asia

Crow Swallowtail

Lime Swallowtail Butterfly

South Asia

Lime Swallowtail

Blue-Banded Swallowtail Butterfly

Africa

Blue-Banded Swallowtail

Orange Swallowtail Butterfly

Americas

Orange Swallowtail

The Orange Swallowtail, Papilio thoas, is a butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found from the southernmost United States to as south as Argentina and Uruguay. The species is easily confused with the Giant Swallowtail, which it closely resembles in both larval and adult stages.

Did you know?
The Orange Swallowtail has a wingspan of 100 - 130mm

Tailed Jay Butterfly

South Asia

Tailed Jay

Orchard Swallowtail Butterfly

Australia

Orchard Swallowtail

Orange-Barred Sulphur Butterfly

America

Orange-Barred Sulphur

Atlas Moth

South Asia

Atlas Moth

The atlas moth is among the biggest insects on the planet, with a wingspan stretching up to 27 centimetres across - that's wider than a human handspan. And the caterpillars of the species reach up to 12 centimetres long, spending every spare second eating.

Did you know?
In Taiwan, the cocoons of Atlas Moths are used as purses!

Dark Blue Tiger Butterfly

South Asia

Dark Blue Tiger

Chinese Oak Silkmoth

Asia

Chinese Oak Silkmoth

Indian Moon Moth

South Asia

Indian Moon Moth

Asian Comet

South Asia

Asian Comet