Morpho theseus

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Theseus morpho
Morpho theseus justitiae - BCA.png
Subspecies justitiaGodman and Salvin from Biologia Centrali-Americanum (1879–1915)
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Morpho
Species:
M. theseus
Binomial name
Morpho theseus
(Deyrolle, 1860)

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

Contents

Description

In 1913, Hans Fruhstorfer wrote: "Morpho theseus apparently replaces hercules in Central America and the Andean region. It is less constant than hercules, inclining to geographical and probably also to climatic variation, has somewhat narrower wings than hercules and is distinguished from all other Morphids by the long, pointed teeth of the hindwing." [1] Note: Morpho amphitryon , which was considered a race of Morpho theseus by Fruhstorfer, also has the "pointed teeth" or scalloping.

Ground colour brown inclining to olive green, base only quite faintly suffused with whitish. Cell black brown at the extremity and with an inconspicuous whitish spot before the apex. Forewing with only two distinct rows of yellowish patches. [1]

Many subspecies have been described.

Etymology

Theseus was a legendary king of Athens.

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>Morpho polyphemus</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho polyphemus, the white morpho or Polyphemus white morpho, is a white butterfly of Mexico and Central America, ranging as far south as Costa Rica. As suggested by its name, this is one of the relatively few Morphos that is white rather than blue. Some authorities include M. luna, which is also white, as a subspecies of M. polyphemus.

<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 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 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 richardus</i> Species of butterfly

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

<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 hercules</i> Species of butterfly

Morpho hercules, the Hercules morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly found in Brazil and Paraguay.

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

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

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

Morpho laertes, the White morpho or Epistrophus white morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly found in Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. The white morpho is native to the Atlantic Forest, where they are distributed throughout a landscape of multiple species. 

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., 1913. Family: Morphidae. In A. Seitz (editor),Macrolepidoptera of the world, vol. 5: 333–356. Stuttgart: Alfred Kernen.