The colorful butterfly Aglais io, also known as the peacock butterfly or simply the European peacock, can be found in temperate Asia as far east as Japan. It used to be categorized as the sole member of the genus Inachis, whose name comes from Greek mythology and refers to Io, Inachus’ daughter.
Amazing Facts
- This butterfly’s ability to hiss by rubbing its wings together is one of the oddest things about it.
- The female Peacock butterfly is slightly bigger than the male, making it easier to identify.
- Black spikes cover the entire body of the Peacock butterfly caterpillar.
- These butterflies spend the winter hibernating in tree hollows.
Appearance
Identification of a Peacock butterfly is very simple due to its vivid hues. Rusty red wings with a black or gray border are the color of the wings. Each wing of this butterfly bears an eyespot. Blue, white, black, and yellow are all mixed together in the dots on its eyes. It has two tiny antennae and a brown body coated in bristly hair.
It’s interesting to note that some Peacock butterflies are eyeless. We refer to them as blind specimens. A Peacock butterfly without eyespots is unusual to see, nevertheless. The body of this insect is one to two inches long. This butterfly has wingspan measurements between two and two and a half inches. The Peacock butterfly has wings that may spread out up to 2.7 inches.
Diet
These flying insects forage or search for food nonstop. Each day, they land on dozens of flowers and bushes. Peacock butterflies scan a blossom for tasty nectar using sensors in their feet. The butterfly uses its proboscis as a straw to pull nectar up into its body after it locates a source of it.
Predators
Due to its small size, many predators, such as birds and mice, find this butterfly to be an easy meal. The eyespots on the Peacock butterfly serve as a deterrent to predators. The butterfly folds its wings and sits motionless. But the butterfly swiftly spreads its wings, exposing its eyespots when a predator like a bird or a mouse approaches it.
Habitat
Asia and Europe are the home of peacock butterflies. The butterfly lives in meadows, pastures, and woodlands. In backyard gardens, it’s quite typical to observe them hopping from flower to flower.
Keeping as Pet
planting a butterfly garden as a pet plant for long-term butterfly maintenance. Planting a garden full of butterfly host plants and other plants that attract butterflies will aid in making your yard a paradise for butterflies. To maintain butterflies in your area in good health and happiness, think about planting the following species (and many more): Milkweed, Dill, Fennel, Parsley.
Table
