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Morpho (genus)

This article is about the genus. For particular species, see Blue morpho. For the electronic security company, see Morpho (Safran).

Morpho butterfly
Morpho didius, museum specimen
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Tribe: Morphini
Genus: Morpho
Fabricius, 1807
Type species
Morpho achilles
Diversity
c. 29 species and 150 subspecies
Synonyms
  • Balachowskyna (Le Moult & Réal, 1962)
  • Brassolis (Illiger, 1807)
  • Cypritis (Le Moult & Réal, 1962)
  • Cytheritis (Le Moult & Réal, 1962)
  • Grasseia (Le Moult & Réal, 1962)
  • Heliornis (Billberg, 1820)
  • Iphimedeia (Fruhstorfer, 1913)
  • Iphixibia (Le Moult & Réal, 1962)
  • Leonte (Hübner, 1819)
  • Megamede (Hübner, 1819)
  • Pessonia (Le Moult & Réal, 1962)
  • Potamis (Hübner, 1807)
  • Schwartzia (Blandin, 1988)
  • Zeuxidion (Le Moult & Réal, 1962)

The morpho butterflies comprise many species of Neotropical butterfly under the genus Morpho. This genus includes more than 29 accepted species and 147 accepted subspecies, found mostly in South America, Mexico, and Central America.[1] Morpho wingspans range from 7.5 cm (3.0 in) for M. rhodopteron to 20 cm (7.9 in) for M. hecuba, the imposing sunset morpho. The name morpho, meaning "changed" or "modified", is also an epithet. Blue morphos are severely threatened by the deforestation of tropical forests and habitat fragmentation. Humans provide a direct threat to this genus 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.[2]

  1. ^ Le Moult, E.; Réal, P. (1962–63). Les Morpho d'Amérique du Sud et Centrale. Paris: Editions du cabinet entomologique E. Le Moult.
  2. ^ "Blue Morpho Butterfly". Blue Morpho Butterfly. Retrieved 17 March 2023.

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