These gorgeous butterflies were in the botanical gardens, the Jardín Botánico, in the Colombian city of Medellin, a treasure trove of beautiful flowers, lush plantings, and exotic creatures.

Owl (Caligo illioneus) : this is such a lovely butterfly and it’s easy to see how it got its common name, with those enormous eye-like markings on its lower wings. Presumably, those eyes are meant to scare away any potential predators.

Monarch (Danaus plexippus) : I’m sure everyone will recognise this beautiful creature – it’s probably the world’s most recognisable butterfly, and most people know of its mass migrations in North America. I know of the Monarch, as it’s also found in New Zealand, where it’s considered a native because it self-established, a remarkable feat when you consider how far New Zealand is from the Americas.

Rusty-tipped page (Siproeta epaphus) : It took a while to find (through googling) the name of this butterfly. It’s a pretty little thing – if you click on the link, you can see photos that are rather better than mine.