BUTTERFLY IDENTIFICATION GUIDE

The Tropical Butterfly House features butterflies from

around the world. As many as 100 species sometimes live
here. Use this guide to identify some of our favorite residents.

Please look with your eyes and do not touch. Even a gentle touch can harm a butterfly.

FAMILY: PAPILIONIDAE — SWALLOWTAILS

These butterflies have a distinctive flight. Though their front wings flap quickly, their hind wings barely move.

(female) (male)
Papilio polytes Graphium agamemnon Papilio cresphontes Battus polydamus
Common Swallowtail Tailed Jay Giant Swallowtail Polydamus Swallowtail
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia. Southern Canada to Colombia Southern United States through
Look for these fast-flying butterflies These butterflies like sunny areas The caterpillars of this species eat Central America
drinking nectar in sunny spots. where they sip nectar while hovering citrus leaves and can be a crop
with wings in constant motion. pest in some areas.

Parides erostratus
Dusky Swallowtail
Mexico and south to Belize
Exhibits both sexual dimorphism
and mimicry. Male Papilio erostratus
(both sexes - underside) (male-top) (female-top)
mimic the unpalatable Battus
philenor. Females resemble the Papilio rumanzovia
poisonous Parides photinus. Scarlet Swallowtail
Southeast Asia. FAMILY: BRASSOLIDAE —
OWL BUTTERFLIES
These butterflies often roost
together in the ficus trees in the
southeast corner of the Tropical
Butterfly House.

Pachliopta kotzebuea
Pink Rose
Southeast Asia
Can be distinguished from similar
species in the Tropical Butterfly Parides iphidamas
House by its red abdomen. Look for Pink Heart
its reddish brown, fungus-shaped Central America
chrysalis in the emerging window.
(underside)
FAMILY: MORPHIDAE — MORPHOS FAMILY: PIERIDAE — Caligo memnon
Owl Butterfly
WHITES & SULFURS Central America
Like all insects, the owl butterfly has six
legs. However, the two tiny front legs are
usually hidden. There are several species
of owl butterfly in the Tropical Butterfly
House — all love rotting fruit.

Phoebis philea PLEASE LEAVE THIS GUIDE IN THE

Morpho peleides
Common Blue Morpho
Mexico through northern South America
This large butterfly drinks juices from
rotting fruits. Look for its jade green
chrysalis in the emerging window.
Orange Barred Sulfur TROPICAL BUTTERFLY HOUSE.
(underside) Southern United States to Argentina
©2010 Pacific Science Center
This butterfly flies fast, and for good
reason. Some butterflies don’t taste
good to predators, but this one
is a tasty treat.

Located under the arches, near the Space Needle pacificsciencecenter.org

FAMILY: HELICONIIDAE — THE LONGWINGS
These butterflies taste terrible to birds, who are warned not to eat the butterflies by their coloration. One exceptional
characteristic of longwings is that they can eat pollen. Because of this they are long- lived —for butterflies!

Heliconius melpomene H. cydno H. eleuchia H. doris Red Heliconius doris Blue Heliconius sara

Heliconius charitonius Dryas julia Dryadula phaetusa (underside) Heliconius hecale

Zebra Longwing Julia Oak Tiger or Golden Helicon
Southern United States Southern United States Banded Orange Mexico to Peru
into South America through Central America Mexico to Brazil Several other species in this exhibit
and the Caribbean resemble this one. When several
bad-tasting butterflies mimic
each other, it is called the
FAMILY: DANAIDAE — MONARCHS or MILKWEED BUTTERFLIES Müllerian mimicry.

Danaus plexippus
Idea leuconoe Monarch Lycorea cleobaea
Rice Paper or The Americas and Southeast Asia Large Tiger
Paper Kite Butterfly The monarchs in this exhibit are not Central America
Southeast Asia the population famous for migrating Compare this butterfly with
Its large, yellow-and-black to Mexico. Ours are from tropical Heliconius hecale. They mimic
chrysalis is very noticeable in environments where they are usually eachother. Even the butterflies
the emerging window. sedentary throughout their life cycle. themselves become confused
when looking for mates.

FAMILY: NYMPHALIDAE — BRUSH-FOOTED BUTTERFLIES

This and related families (Morphidae, Brassolidae, Danaidae and Heliconiidae) have only two pairs of walking legs. The front
pair is reduced and sometimes brushy and feathery and is used to detect plant chemicals when choosing an egg-laying site.

(male) (female)
Cethosia biblis (underside) Myscelia ethusa Catonephele numilia Hypolimnas bolina
Lacewing Royal Blue Numilia Great Egg Fly
Southeast Asia Central America Central America through Brazil Southeast Asia, Australia
Named for the lacy pattern The blue on this small With wings open, the male is one & the south coast of Africa
on its underside. butterfly’s wings is one of of the most striking butterflies This is another butterfly
the most intense colors in in this exhibit. Males and females whose folded wings hide
the Tropical Butterfly House. have very different coloration. bright color inside.
This is called sexual dimorphism.

All of our butterflies

Parhenos sylvia
Clipper
Southeast Asia
This butterfly is often seen
around the pond areas,
resting with open wings.
PLEASE LEAVE THIS GUIDE IN THE
TROPICAL BUTTERFLY HOUSE.
©2010 Pacific Science Center
are responsibly raised
Siproeta stelenes
(underside)
Prepona omphale (underside)
on butterfly farms.
Malachite Blue Belly-Button We do not purchase
Southern United States Mexico & south to wild-caught butterflies
to the Amazon Basin the Amazon Basin.
Although brightly colored, this Like many butterflies, this During your visit, look
butterfly can successfully hide species has two vastly different in the chrysalis window.
among the green leaves in the appearances — a flashy color You might even see a
Tropical Butterfly House. on the top of the wings and butterfly emerge. We
a camouflaged underside. purchase our butterflies
in the chrysalis stage.
Butterflies are shown at
approximately half size.