Exotic, electric, and unlike almost anything else in the butterfly world, Battus belus — the Belus Swallowtail — is a specimen that stops people mid-sentence. Its large, tail-less wings are black broadly suffused with structural green or blue-green, with variable white patches and bands, while the underside reveals a pearl-sheened brown surface with a row of striking red chevrons at the margins.  Up close, that vivid neon yellow body against the deep green wings creates a visual contrast that is both bold and otherworldly — utterly captivating against the deep black of an 11×14 shadow box frame.
The petrol blue-green wing coloration serves as extraordinary camouflage in dappled rainforest shade, making this butterfly nearly impossible to detect when resting among undergrowth  — which makes a fully displayed specimen in a frame all the more spectacular. Like all Battus species, the caterpillars feed on poisonous pipevine plants, sequestering toxins that make the adults unpalatable to predators — a defense so effective that other swallowtail species have evolved to mimic their coloration.  Found across Brazil, Colombia, Guatemala, Peru, and Venezuela , this is a true gem of the Neotropical rainforest.
∙Species: Belus Swallowtail (Battus belus)
∙Frame: Black shadow box, 11” × 14”
∙Origin: Central & South America
A dramatic, show-stopping display piece — bold in color, rich in character, and endlessly fascinating up close.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​