THE 10 MOST INCREDIBLE INSECTS IN PERU, TAMBOPATA

1. Leaf-cutting ants (atta spp):

When you will be walking through the trails inside the phenomenal jungle, you could appreciate long rows of these amazon ants that are carrying huge pieces of leaves (compared with the size of ants). These tiny leaves are transported until the underground ants nest.
These nests from the boundless jungle are located under surface (one meter) and contain more than 3000,000 amazon ants!

2. Menelaus blue morpho peruvian butterfly (morpho Menelaus):

This is one of the most beautiful butterflies in Peru, due to its shining blue coloration and great size (15cm. on average).Although adult males boast lighter blue wings and prefer to suck natural fruits from fruits.
Owing to this Peruvian butterfly is easy to recognize, they need to fly around lush vegetation.

3. Goliath birdeater spider (Theraphosa blondi):

Considered the biggest amazon rainforest spider throughout the wonderful jungle, they reach 20 to 22 cm. of length and weight more than 100 g. Furthermore, they have hairy body and serves as a natural protection against predator, because that hair irritates skin.
They eat invertebrate animals such as cockroaches, beetles, grasshoppers and rarely small lizards and rodents.

4. The starry night cracker butterfly (hamadryas laodamia):

This is a black peruvian butterfly with blue stains along the wings. They can reach 7 cm. of size and live in wet areas such as riversides, oxbows and other areas from the pure rainforest.
In addition, the starry night cracker butterflies in Peru do not feed from the flowers, instead of that; they suck the natural juice from fruits in decomposition.

5. Sitaraco ant (eciton spp):

These amazon ants are nomad and often change of nest along the exuberant rainforest. By the way, you could meet some “army ants” on the way towards lodges and touristic attractions.
They boast an aggressive appearance, a huge head and strong jaws!

6. Forest giant owl butterfly (caligo eurilochus):

This Peruvian butterfly is a large species, owing to its wings reach 17 cm. Meanwhile the coloration of the whole body samples thee eyes of owl, and that make predators run away.
Most of the butterflies in Peru suck nectar of several plants, but in the phenomenal jungle they drink juice from rotten fruit as well.

7. Southern black widow (Latrodectus):

There are many sub species of the latrodectus throughout the Americas, but these amazon rainforest spiders have the most beautiful coloration.
By the way, females are more popular than males due to them sometimes eat their mates after reproductive act. In addition, they are poison but it does not cause pain or something else if you have a healthy lifetime.

8. Dragonfly (anisoptera):

These kind of insects in Peru boast a wide body and fast flight, sometimes you will see them in the lodge, restaurant and almost everywhere close to water. These are the only insects that have rectal breathing chamber.
In addition, along the boundless jungle, you could appreciate metallic colored dragonflies.

9. Acontius firewing butterfly (catonephele acontius):

According to history, Carl Linnaeus has discovered this Peruvian butterfly in 1771 and that name is owing to coloration of wings. At background a black color, while in the middle of the wings orange narrow lines (look like fire flames).
The most beautiful butterflies in Peru are located in the wonderful jungle of Tambopata!

10. The bullet ant – Isula (paraponera clavata):

Deep in the pure rainforest, exists one of the most feared amazon ants. Owing to their bite is as painful as being shot. This species of amazon ant can measure 4 cm. and lives inside fallen trees, roots and plants that grow on trees.

Many more insects in Peru still wait to be discovered!

Meanwhile, if you want to see all these insects in Peru, you can travel to Tambopata with us. Click here!