Morpho rhetenor

Last updated

Rhetenor blue morpho
Morpho rhetenor rhetenor MHNT dos.jpg
Dorsal view of male (MHNT)
Morpho rhetenor rhetenor MHNT ventre.jpg
Ventral view of the same specimen
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Morpho
Species:
M. rhetenor
Binomial name
Morpho rhetenor
(Cramer, 1775)

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.

Contents

Description

Hans Fruhstorfer describes: "M. rhetenor, already named by Cramer the 'blue elongate Atlas butterfly', has the apex of the forewing more produced than any other Morphid species; a characteristic, however, that partially disappears in the female, which more resembles that of cypris . The male is one of the most brilliantly glossy species and has only a quite inconsiderable black apical spot and a white costal patch on the forewing. The under surface is noteworthy for the contrast between the black basal area and a brown distal region, which are separated by a median band of a more or less pure white and of varying extent according to the locality. Both wings beneath show brown rounded eye-spots entirely without white pupils." [1]

Sex difference

Morpho rhetenor is sexually dimorphic. The female (shown in the Seitz plate below) is bigger than the bright blue male and has a dark-brown upperside with a lighter brown outer edge. There is a central yellow area tapering into a triangle and isolated patches as it crosses the forewings and a separate chain of yellow spots crosses the forewings and hindwings.

Biology

The larva feeds on Palmae and Macrolobium bifolium .

Behaviour

In 1913, Fruhstorfer wrote: "[forma] eusebes Fruhst. inhabits the Amazon region, where Michael has observed it at Obidos in August and September, and Dr. Hahnel at Iquitos and Jurimaguas. According to Dr. Hahnel (Iris 1890, p. 235) eusebes always flies at a great height and energetically, mounting from 3 to 6 m. with an undulating flight, and can only occasionally be attracted to fly down on to wings of Morpho menelaus laid on the ground. The female settles on wet places on the banks of rivers (a habit which I also observed in M. anaxibia in Sta. Catharina). When disturbed they only fly away slowly, in contrast to the males. The males emit a smell of sulphur (Hahnel 1.c. p. 308)." [1]

Etymology

Rhetenor is a literary reference. In Ovid's Metamorphoses , Rhetenor was a companion of Diomedes.

Dorsal and ventral sides Morpho rhetenor rhetenor MHNT.jpg
Dorsal and ventral sides

Subspecies

Related Research Articles

<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>Arhopala anthelus</i> Species of butterfly

Arhopala anthelus, the angelus bush blue, is a species of lycaenid or blue butterfly found in the Indomalayan realm.

<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 helenor</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho helenor, the Helenor blue morpho or common blue morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly found throughout Central and South America from Mexico to Argentina. It is a species group that may or may not be several species. Many subspecies have been described.

<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 aega</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho aega, the Aega morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly found in Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil.

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

Morpho aurora, the Aurora morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly found in Bolivia and Peru.

<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 portis</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho portis is a Neotropical butterfly. It is found in Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, and Paraguay. Several subspecies and many forms have been described. The larvae feed on Gramineae.

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

Morpho adonis, the Adonis morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly. It is found in Venezuela, Suriname, French Guiana, Colombia, Ecuador, Brazil, and Peru. The wingspan ranges from 70 to 90 millimetres.

<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 richardus</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho richardus, or Richard's morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly found only in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

<i>Polyommatus amandus</i> Species of butterfly

Polyommatus amandus, the Amanda's blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in the Palearctic realm.

<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 anaxibia</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho anaxibia, the Anaxibia morpho, is a species of Neotropical butterfly endemic to Brazil.

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

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

<i>Polyommatus dorylas</i> Species of butterfly

Polyommatus (Plebicula) dorylas, the turquoise blue, is a butterfly of the family Lycaenidae. It is found in southern Europe, Asia Minor, the Ural Mountains, Caucasus and Transcaucasia. Its wingspan is 15–17 mm. The butterfly's common name comes from the dazzling bright blue colour of male's wings. The larvae feed on Anthyllis vulneraria. The butterfly flies from May to September in two generations. Habitats include flowery meadows in rocky areas at 500–2000 m.

Morpho amphitryon is a Neotropical butterfly.

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

Morpho telemachus is a Neotropical butterfly.

Morpho uraneis is a Neotropical butterfly. It is found in Brazil and Ecuador.

References

  1. 1 2 Fruhstorfer, H.; A. Seitz (1913). "Family: Morphidae". Macrolepidoptera of the World. 5. Germany: Stuttgart: Alfred Kernen: 333–356.