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Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) coupled with X-ray dispersive energy spectroscopy (EDS) has as its operating principle the use of a small diameter electron beam to explore the surface of the sample under study and identify chemical elements present in the samples. Butterflies are potential bioindicators of environmental quality, being possible to observe in some species the migration process, and thus, they unintentionally become victims of metal dispersion. The present study aimed to identify and perform a semiquantitative analysis of the presence of heavy metals in wings of the species Hamadryas februa. The specimens were collected on the campus of the University of Vale do Paraíba (UNIVAP), São José dos Campos, SP, in three distinct locations: butterfly garden; inside a fragment of Atlantic Forest and surrounding the Center for Planning and Development of Education (CEPLADE). A total of five butterfly specimens were selected for removal of a fragment of the lower wing, and the specimens were immediately released. The fragments were fixed in a sample holder, following the drying process, treatment with gold metallization, and analysis under a Scanning Electron Microscope. Semiquantitative analyses were performed based on the total atomic percentage of the metals found in each sample: iron (0.28%), manganese (0.74%), nickel (0.77%), cobalt (2.32%), copper (4.96%), zinc (11.71%), bromine (12.83%), aluminum (19.57%), lead (21.79%) and mercury (24.98%). According to the analyses, the samples showed marked concentrations of lead and mercury. This work may indicate that butterflies from the species Hamadryas februa are able to accumulate heavy metals in their scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]