Peacock Butterfly
Peacock Butterfly
Insect
A stunning deep-red butterfly with four eye-like spots that flash to startle predators. Shut tight, its wings look like a dead leaf as it sleeps through the winter.
💡 Fun Facts
- The Peacock has four big, bright eyespots on its wings that look like staring eyes to scare away hungry birds.
- If a predator gets too close, it rubs its wings together to make a hissing, rustling sound.
- With its wings shut, the Peacock looks just like a dark dead leaf, perfect camouflage while it hibernates through winter.
📅 Through the Year
- Hibernation:October to February
- Active:March to September
Name Story
Aglais io
means “splendour — and Io from the old myths”
What does its name mean?
- aglais — splendour, beauty, brightnessGreek (from aglaia)
- io — Io, a figure from Greek mythGreek myth
Aglais means 'splendour', which suits this dazzling butterfly perfectly. Its second name, Io, weaves in a Greek myth: a hundred-eyed giant named Argus once had his eyes placed upon the peacock's tail — and that's why the butterfly's bold eye-spots, and the bird's, share the name 'peacock'.