Blue Morpho Butterfly
Facts
Location: South America, Mexico, Central America
Lifespan: 115 days
Location: South America, Mexico, Central America
Lifespan: 115 days
Scientific Classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Morphinae
Tribe: Morphini
Genus: Morpho
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Morphinae
Tribe: Morphini
Genus: Morpho
Description
Wingspan: 3 to 8 in (7.5 to 20 cm)
Other: As its common name implies, the blue morpho butterfly’s wings are bright blue, edged with black. The blue morpho is among the largest butterflies in the world, with wings spanning from five to eight inches. Their vivid, iridescent blue coloring is a result of the microscopic scales on the backs of their wings, which reflect light. The underside of the morpho’s wings, on the other hand, is a dull brown color with many eyespots, providing camouflage against predators such as birds and insects when its wings are closed. When the blue morpho flies, the contrasting bright blue and dull brown colors flash, making it look like the morpho is appearing and disappearing. The males’ wings are broader than those of the females and appear to be brighter in color. Blue morphos, like other butterflies, also have two clubbed antennas, two fore wings and two hind wings, six legs and three body segments -- the head, thorax and abdomen.
Wingspan: 3 to 8 in (7.5 to 20 cm)
Other: As its common name implies, the blue morpho butterfly’s wings are bright blue, edged with black. The blue morpho is among the largest butterflies in the world, with wings spanning from five to eight inches. Their vivid, iridescent blue coloring is a result of the microscopic scales on the backs of their wings, which reflect light. The underside of the morpho’s wings, on the other hand, is a dull brown color with many eyespots, providing camouflage against predators such as birds and insects when its wings are closed. When the blue morpho flies, the contrasting bright blue and dull brown colors flash, making it look like the morpho is appearing and disappearing. The males’ wings are broader than those of the females and appear to be brighter in color. Blue morphos, like other butterflies, also have two clubbed antennas, two fore wings and two hind wings, six legs and three body segments -- the head, thorax and abdomen.
Subspecies
A Morpho butterfly may be one of over 80 species of butterflies in the genus Morpho.
A Morpho butterfly may be one of over 80 species of butterflies in the genus Morpho.
- M. absoloni
- M. achilleana
- M. achilles – Achilles Morpho
- M. adonis – Adonis Morpho
- M. aega – Aega Morpho
- M. amathonte
- M. amphitrion
- M. anaxibia
- M. aurora – Aurora Morpho
- M. catenarius
- M. cisseis – Cisseis Morpho
- M. cypris – Cypris Morpho
- M. deidamia – Deidamia Morpho
- M. diana
- M. didius
- M. epistrophus – Epistrophus White Morpho
- M. godarti – Godart's Morpho
- M. granadensis – Granada Morpho
- M. hecuba – Sunset Morpho
- M. helena – Helena Morpho
- M. helenor – Helenor Morpho
- M. hercules – Hercules Morpho
- M. hyacinthus
- M. laertes
- M. leontius
- M. luna
- M. lympharis – Lympharis Morpho
- M. menelaus – Menelaus Blue Morpho
- M. montezuma
- M. nestira
- M. ockendeni
- M. patroclus
- M. peleides – Peleides Blue Morpho
- M. phanodemus
- M. polyphemus – (Polyphemus) White Morpho
- M. portis
- M. rhetenor – Rhetenor Blue Morpho
- M. rhodopteron
- M. richardus – Richard's Morpho
- M. sulkowskyi – Sulkowsky's Morpho
- M. telemachus
- M. thamyris – Thamyris Morpho
- M. theseus – Theseus Morpho
- M. vitrea
- M. zephyritis – Zephyritis Morpho
Behaviour
The Blue Morpho Butterfly typically lives alone, excluding mating season. Males are territorial and will chase any rivals. The butterflies wobble in flight and are easy to catch. Morpho butterflies are diurnally active (active during the day) and have the capability of 'crypis', meaning when they sleep at night, they fold their wings so that only the dark underside is seen, making them less visible to predators. It also has a 'flashing' defence mechanism, meaning, due to the slow beating pace of their wings, the iridescent blue is flashed and then disappears as the wings are raised only to return in another place in a short while. This causes predators to loose track of the Morpho butterfly when it is flying as they only glimpse blue flashes as the brown underside makes them invisible in the thick foliage of the jungle.
The Blue Morpho Butterfly typically lives alone, excluding mating season. Males are territorial and will chase any rivals. The butterflies wobble in flight and are easy to catch. Morpho butterflies are diurnally active (active during the day) and have the capability of 'crypis', meaning when they sleep at night, they fold their wings so that only the dark underside is seen, making them less visible to predators. It also has a 'flashing' defence mechanism, meaning, due to the slow beating pace of their wings, the iridescent blue is flashed and then disappears as the wings are raised only to return in another place in a short while. This causes predators to loose track of the Morpho butterfly when it is flying as they only glimpse blue flashes as the brown underside makes them invisible in the thick foliage of the jungle.
Predators or Prey?
Humans provide a direct threat to this spectacular creature because their beauty attracts artists and collectors from all over the globe who wish to capture and display them. Aside from humans, birds like the jacamar and flycatcher are the adult butterfly’s natural predators. The Blue Morpho Butterfly has no prey because it is a herbivore. When it is a caterpillar, the species chews on different species of leaves. Whereas, when the species morphs into a butterfly, it sucks the juice from rotting fruit.
Humans provide a direct threat to this spectacular creature because their beauty attracts artists and collectors from all over the globe who wish to capture and display them. Aside from humans, birds like the jacamar and flycatcher are the adult butterfly’s natural predators. The Blue Morpho Butterfly has no prey because it is a herbivore. When it is a caterpillar, the species chews on different species of leaves. Whereas, when the species morphs into a butterfly, it sucks the juice from rotting fruit.
Diet
The blue morpho’s diet changes throughout each stage of its lifecycle. As a caterpillar, it chews leaves of many varieties, but prefers to dine on plants in the pea family. When it becomes a butterfly it can no longer chew, but drinks its food instead. Adults use a long, protruding mouthpart called a proboscis as a drinking straw to sip the juice of rotting fruit, the fluids of decomposing animals, tree sap, fungi and wet mud. Blue morphos taste fruit with sensors on their legs, and they "taste-smell" the air with their antennae, which serve as a combined tongue and nose.
The blue morpho’s diet changes throughout each stage of its lifecycle. As a caterpillar, it chews leaves of many varieties, but prefers to dine on plants in the pea family. When it becomes a butterfly it can no longer chew, but drinks its food instead. Adults use a long, protruding mouthpart called a proboscis as a drinking straw to sip the juice of rotting fruit, the fluids of decomposing animals, tree sap, fungi and wet mud. Blue morphos taste fruit with sensors on their legs, and they "taste-smell" the air with their antennae, which serve as a combined tongue and nose.
Habitat
Blue morphos live in the tropical forests of Latin America from Mexico to Colombia. Adults spend most of their time on the forest floor and in the lower shrubs and trees of the understory with their wings folded. However, when looking for mates, the blue morpho will fly through all layers of the forest. Humans most commonly see morphos in clearings and along streams where their bright blue wings are most visible. Pilots flying over rainforests have even encountered large groups of blue morphos above the treetops, warming themselves in the sun. The blue morpho’s entire lifespan lasts only 115 days, which means most of their time is spent eating and reproducing.
Blue morphos live in the tropical forests of Latin America from Mexico to Colombia. Adults spend most of their time on the forest floor and in the lower shrubs and trees of the understory with their wings folded. However, when looking for mates, the blue morpho will fly through all layers of the forest. Humans most commonly see morphos in clearings and along streams where their bright blue wings are most visible. Pilots flying over rainforests have even encountered large groups of blue morphos above the treetops, warming themselves in the sun. The blue morpho’s entire lifespan lasts only 115 days, which means most of their time is spent eating and reproducing.
Conservation
Blue morphos are severely threatened by deforestation of tropical forests and habitat fragmentation.
Blue morphos are severely threatened by deforestation of tropical forests and habitat fragmentation.
Reproduction
The entire life cycle of the Morpho butterfly, from egg to death, is approximately 115 days. The larvae hatch from pale green, dewdrop-like eggs. The caterpillars have reddish-brown bodies with bright lime-green or yellow patches on its back. Its hairs are irritating to human skin, and when disturbed it secretes a fluid that smells like rancid butter. They feed on a variety of leguminous plants. The caterpillar will molt five times before entering the pupal stage. The chrysalis is jade-green and emits a repulsive, ultrasonic sound when touched. The adults live for about two to three weeks. They feed on the fluids of fermenting fruit, decomposing animals, tree sap and fungi. They are poisonous to predators thanks to toxins they sequestered from plants they fed on as caterpillars.
The entire life cycle of the Morpho butterfly, from egg to death, is approximately 115 days. The larvae hatch from pale green, dewdrop-like eggs. The caterpillars have reddish-brown bodies with bright lime-green or yellow patches on its back. Its hairs are irritating to human skin, and when disturbed it secretes a fluid that smells like rancid butter. They feed on a variety of leguminous plants. The caterpillar will molt five times before entering the pupal stage. The chrysalis is jade-green and emits a repulsive, ultrasonic sound when touched. The adults live for about two to three weeks. They feed on the fluids of fermenting fruit, decomposing animals, tree sap and fungi. They are poisonous to predators thanks to toxins they sequestered from plants they fed on as caterpillars.