How many ommatidia are typical per butterfly species?

The number of ommatidia varies significantly between different butterfly species, often depending on the butterfly's size, its activity level (e.g., fast flier vs. slow flier), and its behaviors (e.g., hunting, mating displays).

A typical, medium-sized butterfly, such as a **Monarch (*Danaus plexippus*)**, has around **12,000 ommatidia per eye**, for a total of 24,000.

This number can be a general range:

• Smaller species, like those in the Lycaenidae family ('blues'), might have as few as 4,000 to 6,000 per eye.
• Large, fast, and agile fliers, such as some Swallowtail butterflies (*Papilionidae* family), can have **17,000 or more ommatidia per eye**.

The number of ommatidia is directly related to the "resolution" or sharpness of the image the butterfly can see. More ommatidia means a clearer, more detailed picture.