Quick Answers
Where can I see a Ulysses butterfly?
In gardens, along rainforest edges and wherever its host plant, the pink evodia, grows.
Why are they hard to spot at rest?
Their brown and yellow undersides blend into bark and leaves.
Any tips for seeing one?
Wear something bright blue in the warmer months. Ulysses butterflies are drawn to the colour.
“The Ulysses Butterfly appears in the rainforest like something from a dream — an iridescent blue that doesn’t seem real until it lands, folds its wings, and disappears.”
Ulysses Butterfly: The Stunning Blue of the Tablelands Rainforest
The Ulysses Butterfly is one of Australia’s most visually striking insects — a large swallowtail butterfly with wings that, when open, flash an electric, iridescent blue that seems almost artificial. It is one of the iconic images of tropical Far North Queensland and a genuinely exciting wildlife encounter on the Atherton Tablelands, where it is commonly seen in garden settings, along rainforest edges, and anywhere its larval host plant — the pink evodia — is present.
The upper surface of the Ulysses’ wings is the brilliant blue that makes it unmistakable. The undersides are camouflaged in brown and yellow, which makes a resting Ulysses almost invisible against the bark and dead leaves of the forest floor — a remarkable contrast to the visual spectacle it presents in flight. The butterfly is quick and agile, and tracking one through the canopy is both frustrating and deeply enjoyable.
Ulysses Butterflies are attracted to the colour blue — a fact that is both scientifically interesting and practically useful. Wearing or carrying anything bright blue in a Tablelands garden during the warmer months is likely to attract a visit. Blue flowers, blue clothing, and blue garden furniture all tend to draw these extraordinary insects, sometimes at very close range.
The Ulysses is most active in warm, sunny conditions and is most commonly seen in the rainforest margins and gardens of the Atherton Tablelands from October to April. The butterfly is the emblem of Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and appears on a range of tourism and ecological materials for the Wet Tropics region.
A Hot Getaways destination. Where Care is Our Compass.
Travel Kindly
At Hot Getaways, care is our compass — and a little kindness makes every journey better. When you visit the Atherton Tablelands, we gently ask you to:
- Tread lightly — stay on tracks and lookouts, and take special care around waterfalls, which can be slippery and swift.
- Respect the wildlife — never feed the platypus, tree-kangaroos or birds, and observe them quietly from a distance.
- Support local — choosing local operators, cafés and guides helps this beautiful place thrive.
- Honour Country — we travel on the traditional lands and sea Country of Australia’s First Peoples, with gratitude and respect to the Traditional Custodians past and present.
- Be kind to each other — a smile, a little patience and a helping hand make the day lovelier for everyone.
Small acts of care add up to something wonderful. Thank you for travelling kindly.
