Morpho menelaus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common Name:
Menelaus Morpho

Synonyms:

Papilio menelaus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Natural History:

Males and females occur in most of the year and are attracted by decomposing fruits.

Species of Morpho occur throughout the year, with a slight increase in population from September to November. To distinguish the species is necessary to observe for a long time to see the details, or can make photograph the ventral side of the wings. The caterpillars show colored patches mixed with brown resulting in a pattern of disruptive coloration on the substrate.

Distribution:
Brasil; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; Guyana; Guyane française; Panamá; Perú; Venezuela

Feeding Adult:

Adults feed on fruit on the ground, moist soil mud puddles

Feeding Caterpillars:

According compiled by Beccaloni et al. (2008), are host-plants:

Bignoniaceae:Tecoma heptaphylla

Erythroxilaceae: Erythroxylum sp., Erythroxylum pulchrum

Leguminosae-Papilionoideae: Lonchocarpus macrophyllus, Lonchocarpus oliganthus, Machaerium sp., Pterocarpus sp., Pterocarpus officinalis, Pterocarpus violaceus

Color:
black, blue, brown, metallic, white

Habitat:
forest

Publications:

Beccaloni G.W, Viloria A.L., Hall S.K., Robinson G.S. (2008):

Catalogue of the hostplants of the Neotropical butterflies. Book., London, S.E.A., Ribes, CYTED, Natural History Museum, IVIC: 1-536