Morpho peleides
Encyclopedia
The Peleides Blue Morpho, Common Morpho, or The Emperor
(Morpho peleides) is an iridescent
tropical butterfly
found in Mexico
, Central America
, northern South America
, Paraguay, and Trinidad
.
The brilliant blue color in the butterfly's wings is caused by the diffraction of the light from millions of tiny scales on its wings. It uses this to frighten away predators, by flashing its wings rapidly.
The wingspan of the Blue Morpho butterfly ranges from 7.5–20 cm (3–7.9 in). The entire Blue Morpho Butterfly lifecycle, from egg to adult is only 115 days.
The Blue Morpho Butterfly drinks the juices from rotting fruits for food. Its favourites in captivity are mango, kiwi, and lychee. Blue Morpho butterflies live in the rainforests of South America, and can be found in Mexico and Central America.
The larvae of Blue Morpho Butterflies are cannibals
. The caterpillar Blue Morpho Butterfly is red-brown with patches of bright green.
The Blue Morpho Butterflies stick together in groups to deter their predators, a form of mobbing behavior
.
(Morpho peleides) is an iridescent
Iridescence
Iridescence is generally known as the property of certain surfaces which appear to change color as the angle of view or the angle of illumination changes...
tropical butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
found in Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, northern South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
, Paraguay, and Trinidad
Trinidad
Trinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
.
The brilliant blue color in the butterfly's wings is caused by the diffraction of the light from millions of tiny scales on its wings. It uses this to frighten away predators, by flashing its wings rapidly.
The wingspan of the Blue Morpho butterfly ranges from 7.5–20 cm (3–7.9 in). The entire Blue Morpho Butterfly lifecycle, from egg to adult is only 115 days.
The Blue Morpho Butterfly drinks the juices from rotting fruits for food. Its favourites in captivity are mango, kiwi, and lychee. Blue Morpho butterflies live in the rainforests of South America, and can be found in Mexico and Central America.
The larvae of Blue Morpho Butterflies are cannibals
Cannibalism (zoology)
In zoology, cannibalism is the act of one individual of a species consuming all or part of another individual of the same species as food. Cannibalism is a common ecological interaction in the animal kingdom and has been recorded for more than 1500 species...
. The caterpillar Blue Morpho Butterfly is red-brown with patches of bright green.
The Blue Morpho Butterflies stick together in groups to deter their predators, a form of mobbing behavior
Mobbing behavior
Mobbing in animals is an antipredator behavior which occurs when individuals of a certain species mob a predator by cooperatively attacking or harassing it, usually to protect their offspring. A simple definition of mobbing is an assemblage of individuals around a potentially dangerous predator...
.
External links
- Peleides at funet.fi
- Morpho peleides, Blue Morpho at flickr, showing the spectacular iridescence
- Time lapse video of newly emerged imago expanding its wings
- NSG Voucher specimen.Photograph of underside.