Details
Morpho menelaus
The blue morpho butterfly is a large Neotropical forest butterfly known for its flashing blue wings. It is diurnal and usually flies alone through forest gaps and edges.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It lives in humid forests of Central and South America. Adults often use river edges and clearings, while larvae depend on forest host plants.
Wingspan is about 10-15 cm and weight about 1-3 g. The upper wings shine metallic blue, while the brown undersides carry eyespots that help it blend in when resting.
It is active by day and generally solitary. Its wingbeats alternately reveal and hide the blue surface, creating a flashing effect in filtered light.
It is treated as herbivorous: larvae feed on leaves. Adults take plant-based liquids such as fruit juices and tree sap.
Females lay eggs on plants suitable for the caterpillars. The young feed, pupate, and emerge as adults within the forest habitat.
Its conservation status is LC. The blue color comes from microscopic wing structure rather than ordinary pigment.
