Split-banded owlet facts for kids

Opsiphanes cassina, also known as the split-banded owlet, is a type of butterfly. It belongs to a family of butterflies called Nymphalidae. These butterflies are known for their beautiful wings.

Quick facts for kids Split-banded owlet
From Peru
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Opsiphanes
Species:	O. cassina
Binomial name
Opsiphanes cassina C. & R. Felder, 1862
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What Does the Split-banded Owlet Look Like?

The female split-banded owlet is a bit bigger than the male. Her wingspan (the distance from one wingtip to the other) is about 70 millimeters (2.7 inches) wide. Males have slightly smaller wings.

The top side of their wings is dark brown. Bright yellow-orange bands cross the front wings (forewings) and the edges of the back wings (hindwings). The underside of their wings is also brown. It has some large, round patterns that look like eyespots. These spots can help scare away predators.

Adult split-banded owlets live for only about ten days. During this short time, they need to find food, mate, and lay their eggs.

The Life of a Young Owlet Butterfly

The young butterflies, called larvae or caterpillars, are bright green. They have two pointy parts that stick out from their rear end. These caterpillars eat leaves from several types of palm trees. Some of their favorite foods include coconut palms (Cocos nucifera) and royal palms (Roystonea regia). They can also eat oil palm (Elaeis guineensis) leaves. Sometimes, they eat so many leaves that they can harm the oil palm trees.

Where Does This Butterfly Live?

You can find the split-banded owlet butterfly in many places. They live from Mexico all the way down to the Amazon basin in South America.

See also

In Spanish: Opsiphanes cassina para niños