Rice Paper Butterfly

Rice Paper Butterfly

Idea leuconoe

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Taroko National Park

In 3 days ~20% in a week ~40%

5 Verified sightings at Taroko National Park From 2019 to 2026
5 In 1 park
December Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Rice Paper Butterfly

Idea leuconoe, also known as the paper kite butterfly, rice paper butterfly, large tree nymph, white tree nymph, is a butterfly known especially for its presence in butterfly houses and live butterfly expositions. It has a wingspan of 12 to 14 cm. The paper kite is of Southeast Asian origin, but has also been found in Taiwan and the Ryukyu Islands.

Larvae feed on Parsonsia species, Tylophora hispida, Parsonsia helicandra, Parsonsia spiralis, and Cynanchum formosanum so both the butterfly and larvae are poisonous. The paper kite butterfly's forewings and hindwings are translucent silvery white with black spots, similar to the Idea lynceus. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Taroko National Park 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~10%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Naha 🇯🇵 Japan
~30%
2 Davao City 🇵🇭 Philippines
~20%
3 Manila 🇵🇭 Philippines
~10%
4 Kaohsiung 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~10%
5 Tainan 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~10%
6 Taipei 🇹🇼 Taiwan
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Rice Paper Butterfly in Taroko National Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Rice Paper Butterfly sighting in Taroko National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 379th most-seen of the 447 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Rice Paper Butterfly in Taroko National Park?

February and December

In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Rice Paper Butterfly in Taroko National Park on a given day, against under 5% in January, March–April and June–November, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Rice Paper Butterfly?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Rice Paper Butterfly sightings with a recorded time, and nearly all of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Where else can you see a Rice Paper Butterfly?

Only Taroko National Park, in our data

Taroko National Park is the only park on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Rice Paper Butterfly sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.

Which relatives of the Rice Paper Butterfly live in Taroko National Park?

Same family: Nymphalidae

The closest relatives of the Rice Paper Butterfly that you can see in Taroko National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Yellow Emperor (about 40%), Common Palmfly (about 30%) and Common Mapwing (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Rice Paper Butterfly sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Rice Paper Butterfly is recorded against all the insects logged in Taroko National Park (5 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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