Dark Owl-Butterfly

Dark Owl-Butterfly

Caligo brasiliensis

Daily sighting probability ~20% · Possible
at Main Ridge Forest Reserve

In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%

12 Verified sightings at Main Ridge Forest Reserve From 2019 to 2026
138 In all 13 parks
July Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Dark Owl-Butterfly

Caligo brasiliensis, the Brazilian owl, sulanus owl, or almond-eyed owl, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. The species can be found in most of South America as various subspecies, including Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador. Its range extends through Trinidad, Honduras, Guatemala and Panama north to Mexico.

The larvae of the nominate subspecies have been recorded on Euterpe edulis, Musa species, and Hedychium coronarium. The larvae of subspecies sulanus have been recorded on Heliconia, Calathea, and Musa species. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%
2 Main Ridge Forest Reserve 🇹🇹 Trinidad and Tobago
~20%
3 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
4 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
5 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
6 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
7 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
8 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
9 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
10 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
11 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
12 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
13 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
<5%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Santos 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
2 Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
3 Vitória 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Dark Owl-Butterfly in Main Ridge Forest Reserve?

Possible

About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Dark Owl-Butterfly sighting in Main Ridge Forest Reserve on a given day, based on 12 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 124th most-seen of the 346 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Dark Owl-Butterfly in Main Ridge Forest Reserve?

July

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Dark Owl-Butterfly in Main Ridge Forest Reserve on a given day, against under 5% in November to May, the lowest months. That is one of Main Ridge Forest Reserve's wettest months, with about 200 mm of rain against 60 mm in February.

What time of day is best to see a Dark Owl-Butterfly?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Dark Owl-Butterfly sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Is Main Ridge Forest Reserve the best place to see a Dark Owl-Butterfly?

2nd of 13

Of the 13 parks where we can rate Dark Owl-Butterfly sightings, Main Ridge Forest Reserve ranks 2nd at about 20%. The best odds are in Serra dos Órgãos National Park (Brazil, about 30%).

Which relatives of the Dark Owl-Butterfly live in Main Ridge Forest Reserve?

Same family: Nymphalidae

The closest relatives of the Dark Owl-Butterfly that you can see in Main Ridge Forest Reserve (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Red Peacock (about 40%), Hermeuptychia canthe (about 30%) and White Satyr (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Dark Owl-Butterfly sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Dark Owl-Butterfly is recorded against all the insects logged in Main Ridge Forest Reserve (12 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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