The Orange Oakleaf Butterfly
- May 2
- 1 min read
The Orange Oakleaf Butterfly. easy to pass by as just a dead leaf, and I observed this one flying, and then landing. i had my tripod so this was 1/60s f5 ISO 500 at 200mm
The Orange Oakleaf Butterfly - this one I found in Thailand last week, but they have also been found in HOng Kong, with 3 observations on iNaturalist.
This is one of the most extraordinary butterflies in Asia—as it is probably the best leaf mimic on Earth. When it closes its wings, it transforms into what looks almost exactly like a dead leaf.
The underside mimics:
leaf veins
fungal spots
midrib structure
uneven leaf edges
even the appearance of decay
From a few metres away it is almost impossible to distinguish it from real leaf litter.
The butterfly became famous in early evolutionary debates because it was such a spectacular example of natural selection producing camouflage, with Alfred Russel Wallace and other naturalists discussing leaf mimicry as evidence of adaptation.
However, as this shot just begins to show, when its wings are open, it flashes brilliant orange, blue, and black colours.
i have turned this one upside down
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