I recently began to indulge my naturalist side and started collecting butterflies (only ones that are allowed to live out their full complete lifespans).  However, I quickly realize that there was much more to butterflies than a beautiful bright turquoise color or symmetrical patterns.  Instead, I began to see owls, foxes, snakes, hawks, spiders, and more on the wings of these beautiful insects!

My small collection of South American butterflies currently consists, from left to right, of an owl butterfly, a “hawk” butterfly, and a “leaf” butterfly (these are their scientific names, of course!).  If you look on the top left and right wings of the owl butterfly, you will see two snake heads, as well as a spider in the middle.  When I first saw the owl butterfly, I had to ask if it was real or painted, but this is indeed how they exist in nature!  The butterfly in the middle has a hawk face on its top two wings, while the leaf butterfly truly looks like two fallen leaves.

I’m slowly adding to my collection with butterflies my husband affectionately calls “transformers.”  Are you a butterfly collector?