Monkey puzzle
The monkey puzzle is a small butterfly from India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. On top it is dark brown with white spots, and underneath it is white with chocolate brown markings. It has little tails on its back wings that it likes to wiggle.
How fast is it?
Fun facts
When it lands, it turns around, steps sideways and waggles its tails. This may trick a hungry bird into attacking the wrong end.
It is a weak flier. It stays low to the ground and does not fly for long.
Its caterpillar is pale green with fleshy red bumps along its back.
Its chrysalis is green, turns brown just before the butterfly comes out, and hangs on by one little stalk at its tail.
It is the only kind of butterfly in its genus, called Rathinda.
Most asked questions about Monkey puzzle
?Where does the monkey puzzle live?
In India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, in jungles, scrub forest and sometimes gardens.
?Why does the monkey puzzle wiggle its tails?
Its moving tails may look like a head, so a bird might peck at the wrong end and the butterfly can escape.
For bug experts
- Scientific name
- Rathinda amor
- Group
- Butterflies
- Family
- Lycaenidae
- Classification
- Insecta > Lepidoptera > Lycaenidae
- Lives on
- Asia
Where the facts come from
- Rathinda (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
- Picture by Vengolis. CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.
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