Morpho menelaus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Menelaus Morpho
Papilio menelaus (Linnaeus, 1758)
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.
Brasil; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; Guyana; Guyane française; Panamá; Perú; Venezuela
Adults feed on fruit on the ground, moist soil mud puddles
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
black, blue, brown, metallic, white
forest
- 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
Iranduba, Amazonas
Photo: Anselmo D'Affonseca
Female, from dorsal
Specimen deposited in the Collection of Invertebrates INPA, Manaus, Amazonas
Female, from ventral
Specimen deposited in the Collection of Invertebrates INPA, Manaus, Amazonas
Male, from dorsal
Specimen deposited in the Collection of Invertebrates INPA, Manaus, Amazonas
Male, from ventral
Specimen deposited in the Collection of Invertebrates INPA, Manaus, Amazonas