Morpho amathonte

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Morpho amathonte
Morphoamathonte.JPG
Male
Nymphalidae - Morpho amathonte.JPG
Female from Colombia
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Morpho
Species:
M. amathonte
Binomial name
Morpho amathonte
(Deyrolle, 1860)
Synonyms
  • Morpho menelaus ssp. amathonte

Morpho amathonte is a Neotropical butterfly belonging to the subfamily Morphinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is considered, by some authors,[ who? ] to be a subspecies of Morpho menelaus .

Contents

The genus Morpho is palatable but some species (such as M. amathonte) are very strong fliers; birds – even species which are specialized for catching butterflies on the wing – find it very hard to catch them. [1] [2] The conspicuous blue coloration shared by most Morpho species may be a case of Müllerian mimicry, or may be 'pursuit aposematism'. [3]

Description

Morpho amathonte has a wingspan of about 100–150 millimetres (3.9–5.9 in). The total number of days for which it takes this species to grow into an adult is about 120 days. During this time, the butterfly is an egg for 14 days, then remains as larvae for 83 days, and then remains a pupa for about 19 days. [4] The females prefer to breed on isolated trees in intact forests, despite the fact that the hostplant is a familiar and plentiful tree in secondary woods. [5] This species shows an evident sexual dimorphism which differentiates males from females. The basic color in males is bright metallic blue, sometimes bluish. In the females the upper surfaces of the wings are partially blue and have a wide dark gray-brown margins, decorated with small white spots running along the outer edge of both wings. From closely related species Morpho amathonte is distinguished by a large dark spot at the top of the front wings. The undersides of the wings are brown, becoming lighter towards the edges, with three or four colorful and bright eyespots clearly visible on each wing.
Different from those from northwestern Ecuador, which is mainly known as Morpho amathonte ecuadorensis, the Morpho amathonte canyarensis in western Ecuador has their wings’ colour lighter in brown, thus this determines that this is a character which varies among, rather than within, subspecies. [6]

Distribution

This species can be found in Panama, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Colombia and Ecuador. Specifically in Costa Rica, M. amathonte has its hostplants are Dichapetalum grayumii (family: Dichapetalaceae), Dioclea malacocarpa, Leucopogon oliganthus , Lonchocarpus macrophylus, Machaerium seemannii (family: Fabaceae), P. hayesii, Pterocarpus rohrii, Prestoea decurrens (family: Arecaceae) and Pterocarpus officionalis (family: Fabaceae). [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nymphalidae</span> Largest butterfly family

The Nymphalidae are the largest family of butterflies, with more than 6,000 species distributed throughout most of the world. Belonging to the superfamily Papilionoidea, they are usually medium-sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called brush-footed butterflies or four-footed butterflies, because they are known to stand on only four legs while the other two are curled up; in some species, these forelegs have a brush-like set of hairs, which gives this family its other common name. Many species are brightly coloured and include popular species such as the emperors, monarch butterfly, admirals, tortoiseshells, and fritillaries. However, the under wings are, in contrast, often dull and in some species look remarkably like dead leaves, or are much paler, producing a cryptic effect that helps the butterflies blend into their surroundings.

<i>Morpho</i> (genus) Genus of brush-footed butterflies

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. 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 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.

<i>Morpho menelaus</i> Species of butterfly

The Menelaus blue morpho is one of thirty species of butterfly in the subfamily Morphinae. Its wingspan is approximately 12 cm (4.7"), and its dorsal forewings and hindwings are a bright, iridescent blue edged with black, while the ventral surfaces are brown. Its iridescent wings are an area of interest in research because of their unique microstructure. Due to its characteristic blue color, Morpho menelaus is considered valuable among collectors and was widely hunted in the 20th century.

<i>Archaeoprepona demophon</i> Species of butterfly

Archaeoprepona demophon, the one-spotted prepona, banded king shoemaker, or demophon shoemaker is a butterfly belonging to the family Nymphalidae.

<i>Morpho peleides</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho peleides, the Peleides blue morpho, common morpho or the emperor is an iridescent tropical butterfly found in Mexico, Central America, northern South America, Paraguay and Trinidad. Most authorities believe that peleides is a subspecies of Morpho helenor.

<i>Morpho achilles</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho achilles, the Achilles morpho, blue-banded morpho, or banded blue morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly.

<i>Morpho deidamia</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho deidamia, the Deidamia morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly. It is found in Panama, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Suriname, Bolivia, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil. It is a species group, which may be, or may not be several species. Many subspecies have been described.

<i>Morpho theseus</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho theseus, the Theseus morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly. It is found in Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Honduras and Guatemala.

<i>Morpho cypris</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho cypris, the Cypris morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly. It is found in Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Colombia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago and Ecuador. Several subspecies and many forms have been described.

<i>Morpho rhetenor</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho rhetenor, the Rhetenor blue morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in Suriname, French Guiana, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Venezuela.

<i>Morpho granadensis</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho granadensis, the Granada morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly that is primarily found in Costa Rica. Several subspecies and many forms have been described. It is considered, by some authors, to be a subspecies of Morpho deidamia. Morpho granadensis is exceedingly rare in museum collections and the type specimen is from Costa Rica. The species is narrowly restricted in Costa Rica to band of tropical rain forest within 100 to 600 meters elevation along the Caribbean watershed of the Cordillera Central and the adjacent highlands. Several studies show that Morpho granadensis is half as abundant as other species like Morpho peleides.

<i>Morpho cisseis</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho cisseis, the Cisseis morpho, is a large Neotropical butterfly found in the southern and western Amazon in Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, and Brazil. It includes several subspecies, but has itself sometimes been treated as a subspecies of the sunset morpho. Both are highly valued by collectors.

<i>Morpho lympharis</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho lympharis, the Lympharis morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly found in Peru and Bolivia.

<i>Nessaea obrinus</i> Species of butterfly

Nessaea obrinus, the obrina olivewing, is a species of butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found from Colombia and the Guianas to the mouth of the Amazon and south to central Bolivia and Mato Grosso in Brazil, extending to northern Argentina.

<i>Eryphanis automedon</i> Species of butterfly

Eryphanis automedon, the Automedon giant owl, is a species of butterfly belonging to the family Nymphalidae.

<i>Caligo illioneus</i> Species of butterfly

Caligo illioneus, the Illioneus giant owl, is an owl butterfly belonging to the nymphalid family, Morphinae subfamily, tribe Brassolini.

<i>Morpho catenarius</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho catenarius is a Neotropical butterfly belonging to the subfamily Morphinae of the family Nymphalidae. It is considered, by some authors, to be a subspecies of Morpho epistrophus.

<i>Morpho didius</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho didius, the giant blue morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly belonging to the subfamily Morphinae of family Nymphalidae. It is considered, by some authors, to be a subspecies of Morpho menelaus.

Morpho amphitryon is a Neotropical butterfly.

<i>Heliconius sapho</i> Species of butterfly

Heliconius sapho, the Sapho longwing, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It was described by Dru Drury in 1782. It is found from Mexico southward to Ecuador.

References

  1. Pinheiro, Carlos E.G. 1996. Palatability and escaping ability in Neotropical butterflies: tests with wild kingbirds (Tyrannus melancholicus, Tyrannidae). Biol. J. Linn. Soc. 59(4): 351–365
  2. Young A.M. 1971. Wing colouration and reflectance in Morpho butterflies as related to reproductive behaviour and escape from avian predators. Oecologia7, 209222.
  3. Edmunds M. 1974. Defence in Animals: a survey of anti-predator defences. Harlow, Essex and NY: Longman. ISBN   0-582-44132-3. On p255256 there is a discussion of 'pursuit aposematism':
    "Young suggested that the brilliant blue colours and bobbing flight of Morpho butterflies may induce pursuit... Morpho amathonte is a very fast flier... It is possible that birds that have chased several unsuccessfully may learn not to pursue butterflies of that [type]... In one area, Young found that 80% of less brilliant species of Morpho had beak marks on their wings... but none out of 31 M. amathonte.
    "If brilliant colour was a factor in courtship, then the conflicting selection pressures of sexual selection and predator selection might lead to different results in quite closely related species".
  4. Córdoba-Alfaro, Jim; Gómez Hernández, Daniel (2017-07-21). "Early Stages of Morpho amathonte (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae, Morphinae) and its Variation on the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica". Revista Peruana de Biología. 24 (2): 151. doi: 10.15381/rpb.v24i2.13492 . ISSN   1727-9933.
  5. Constantino, L. M (1997-11-01). "Natural history, immature stages and hostplants of Morpho amathonte from western Colombia (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Morphinae)". Tropical Lepidoptera Research. 8 (2): 75–80. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  6. Nakahara, S; Blandin, P (2010-12-01). "A southern range extension for Morpho amathonte Deyrolle, 1860 (Nymphalidae, Morphinae) in western Ecuador and the description of a new subspecies". Tropical Lepidoptera Research. 20 (2): 85–87. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  7. Murillo-Hiller, L.R; Canet, N (2018). "Early Stages and Natural History of Morpho menelaus amathonte Deyrolle, 1860 and Morpho helenor marinita Butler, 1872 (Nymphalidae: Morphinae) from Costa Rica". The Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society. 72 (1): 74–80. doi:10.18473/lepi.72i1.a7. S2CID   90735075 . Retrieved 28 October 2023.