Leopard Lacewing, underside
Cethosia cyane
Leopard Lacewing · Carlsbad · 7 March 2026
A Leopard Lacewing feeding on an ajuga spike, wings closed, in the butterfly house at Carlsbad. A butterfly of India and Southeast Asia, common at forest edges and in gardens across its range, and one of the first stocked by any collection.
The pale yellow underside with its rows of black dots and white bands marks it as a Leopard Lacewing. The pattern is a warning: the caterpillars feed on passionflower vines and the adults keep the plant's poisons, which is why so many unrelated butterflies have converged on the same orange-and-black.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
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