The Amazon Butterfly (Coenophlebia archidona) is an insect in the Nymphalidae family of butterflies.
The Amazon Butterfly has orange-brown wings with black-brown tips on the fore (front) wings. It looks like a leaf, so it is well-camouflaged. The front wings have a hook shape.
Its wingspan is about 9 centimetres (4 inches).
The Amazon Butterfly is native to countries in South America, such as Colombia, Peru, Brazil, Bolivia, and Ecuador. It prefers tropical rain forests.
It eats decaying matter on the rain forest floor.
The adult butterfly sips nectar from flowers, whereas the caterpillar (the larvae stage) eats plant leaves.
The female lays eggs on leaves. The eggs hatch into caterpillars after 3-6 days. The caterpillars eat leaves and after 12-22 days they undergo metamorphosis, and change into pupae or casings. Each casing is called a chrysalis.
The pupa stage is 8-22 days. The adult butterfly emerges from the chrysalis.
The adult butterfly lives for 4-6 days.
Photographer: Martina Nicolls
Martina Nicolls: SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM