• Animals (Kingdom Animalia)

• Arthropods (Phylum Arthropoda)

• Hexapods (Subphylum Hexapoda)

• Insects (Class Insecta)

• Butterflies and Moths (Order Lepidoptera)

• Butterflies (Superfamily Papilionoidea)

• Brush-footed Butterflies (Family Nymphalidae)

• Leafwing Butterflies (Subfamily Charaxinae)

• Tribe Anaeini

• Genus Zaretis

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The genus Zaretis is a group of medium- to large-sized Neotropical butterflies within the family Nymphalidae. Distributed from Mexico and Central America through much of tropical South America, Zaretis butterflies are among the finest examples of leaf mimicry in the insect world. When resting with their wings closed, the undersides closely resemble dead leaves, complete with leaf veins, mottled brown coloration, and even markings that imitate fungal spots or decay. This remarkable camouflage makes them extremely difficult to detect in their forest habitats.