Dead Leaf Butterfly

Nature is so exquisite!

 Zaretis Itys is a superb mimic of dead, dried leaves. It even mimics bite marks from bugs! (Photo: Beatriz Yonara)

Nymphalid ground plan of Nymphalinae butterfly wing patterns. Using a comparative morphological approach, we dissected the extraordinarily diversified wing patterns into an assembly of Nymphalid ground plan (NGP) elements. The right, ventral wings are shown (left, each) with drawings of the NGP (right, each; mirror-opposite images of right wings). (a) Araschnia levana, (b) Mynes geoffroyi, (c) Symbrenthia hypselis, (d) Symbrenthia lilaea, (e) Hypanartia lethe, (f) Hypanartia dione, (g) Hypanartia kefersteini, (h) Vanessa cardui, (i) Vanessa atalanta, (j) Vanessa indica, (k) Antanartia delius, (l) Aglais io, (m) Aglais urticae, (n) Kaniska canace, (o) Nymphalis vau-album, (p) Polygonia c-album, (q) Polygonia c-aureum, (r) Hypolimnas bolina, (s) Precis andremiaja, (t) Precis archesia, (u) Precis octavia, (v) Junonia westermanni, (w) Junonia hierta, (x) Junonia orithya, (y) Junonia coenia, (z) Junonia lemonias, (aa) Junonia almana, (bb) Junonia atlites, (cc) Junonia iphita, (dd) Junonia erigone, (ee) Junonia hedonia, (ff) Salamis anteva, (gg) Salamis cacta, (hh) Protogoniomorpha anacardii, (ii) Protogoniomorpha parhassus, (jj) Yoma algina, (kk) Yoma sabina, (ll) Doleschallia bisaltide, (mm) Kallima paralekta.