PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH
Idea leuconoe, also known as the rice paper butterfly, large tree nymph, or, in Australia, as the white nymph butterfly, is commonly found or grown in butterfly houses.
At its biggest, it has a wingspan of up to 14cm.
The paper kite is of Southeast Asian origin, but can also be found in northern Australia and southern Taiwan.
Otago Museum does not breed butterflies, but receives a shipment of butterfly pupae from the Philippines every week.
Its butterflies do not lay eggs in the forest because the museum does do not grow the appropriate plants for the caterpillars to eat.
Paper kites live for one to three weeks after they hatch.
