Don't want to see ads? Sign up...




Eryphanis automedon

Eryphanis automedon

(Cramer, 1775)

Family: Nymphalidae
Order: Lepidoptera
Class: Insecta
Phylum / Division: Arthropoda
Kingdom: Animalia

 Request change



Filters




Description


Eryphanis automedon, the Automedon giant owl, is a species of butterfly belonging to the family Nymphalidae.

 Eryphanis automedon has a wingspan reaching about . In males the dorsal sides of the wings show night blue iridescent patches, extending from submedial to postmedial areas, with well defined borders separating the non-iridescent sections. Ventral sides vary from faded brown to caramel color, with various eyespots. The female wingspan is slightly larger, with a slightly different wing color pattern.

This butterfly can live up to six weeks and flies in the dark forests of Latin America. It is a fast flying butterfly. The caterpillars are cryptically colored and feed at night on Poaceae host plants (mainly bamboo leaves), of which the elongated chrysalis mimics the appearance of a dried leaf.

Distribution: This butterfly is native to South America. It is present from Venezuela to the Guianas and Brazil and from Colombia to Paraguay, at an elevation of above sea level.

Subspecies: The following subspecies are recognized:
  • Eryphanis automedon automedon (Suriname)
  • Eryphanis automedon lycomedon (C. & R. Felder, 1862) (Guatemala and Costa Rica to Colombia)
  • Eryphanis automedon amphimedon (C. & R. Felder, 1867) (Brazil)
  • Eryphanis automedon tristis Staudinger, 1887 (Peru)
  • Eryphanis automedon novicia Stichel, 1904 (Ecuador)
  • Eryphanis automedon cheiremon Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Bolivia)
  • Eryphanis automedon spintharus Fruhstorfer, 1912 (Colombia)

Source: Wikipedia, article Eryphanis automedon. Content adapted from Wikipedia, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license. Accessed on 18/07/2026.





Geographic distribution


Loading map...




Species photographs

Count: 2

Foto
Photography ID: 515016
  Adult

Puerto Iguazú
Misiones
Argentina
11/05/2022
Jorge Schlemmer
Foto
Photography ID: 363360
  Adult

Puerto Iguazú
Misiones
Argentina
10/20/2019
Gustavo Fernando Durán


 Add a photography of this species






Species vocalizations

Last vocalizations published



 Add an audio of this species





Species videos

Last filmings published




 Add a film of this species





Species reports



 Detail of places sorted by number of records






Species records

Count: 2



Page 1 of 1
Record IDDateExact timeCountryProvince / departmentPlaceFilmedPhotographedRecorded vocalObservedHeardWounded or deadNumber of individualsUser or BibliographyDetail
167782805/11/2022ArgentinaMisionesSelva Iryapú (600 hectáreas), Puerto IguazúJorge Schlemmer
161435520/10/2019ArgentinaMisionesSelva Iryapú (600 hectáreas), Puerto IguazúGustavo Fernando Durán
Page 1 of 1

 Add a record of this species

📖
Recommended citation
Please use the following reference when citing this species account.
EcoRegistros. 2026. Eryphanis automedon – Species account. Accessed from www.ecoregistros.org on 21/09/2026.