Morpho achilles

Morpho achilles
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Morpho
Species: M. achilles
Binomial name
Morpho achilles
(Linnaeus, 1758)

The Achilles morpho, blue-banded morpho, or banded blue morpho (Morpho achilles) is a neotropical butterfly.

Etymology

The genus name Morpho comes from the Greek epithet of Aphrodite, goddess of love. Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character of Homer's Iliad.

Description

In Morpho achilles, the dorsal sides of the forewings are black, with two broad vertical bands of brilliant blue. The undersides of the hindwings are olive-brownish, with several ocelli formed by blue, yellow, red, and red concentric rings.

Subspecies

Biology

The caterpillars feed on various species of climbing plants (Dalbergia, Inga, Machaerium, Machaerium aculeatum, Myrocarpus, Platymiscium, and Pterocarpus), while the adults mainly feed on rotting fruits or fermenting juice and tree sap.

Distribution

This species can be found over a huge range of countries, particularly in Argentina, Suriname, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Paraguay, and Brazil.

See also

Tropical Andes

References


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