Butterflies of
the Amazon and Andes
Adonis
Morpho
Morpho marcus
SCHALLER, 1785
Family - NYMPHALIDAE
subfamily -
MORPHINAE
Tribe - MORPHINI
subtribe - MORPHINA
Morpho
marcus,
female, Satipo, Peru
Introduction
There are about 29 described species of Morpho, possibly more.
The status of some
subspecies is
contended by certain taxonomists who consider they should be elevated to the
rank of full species.
The dazzling blue wings of Morpho
butterflies are enormous relative to their body size, resulting in a very
distinctive slow, bouncy flight pattern. The effect is that the brilliant
blue upperside appears to flash like a beacon as it alternates in
flight with the dark undersurface. This makes it difficult for a bird to follow the flight.
If attacked when on the wing, the slow lazy flight pattern instantly changes
into a wild swooping evasive manoeuvre, following which the butterfly dives into
the forest where it instantly settles. A pursuing bird is still of course
searching for a brilliant blue insect, but the
Morpho snaps it's wings shut, displaying the dark
brown underside and foiling the bird's search
program. If the bird does manage to spot the settled butterfly it invariably aims its attack at the most prominent feature - in this case the ocelli,
missing the body entirely and allowing the butterfly to escape.
As with many
Morpho species, the female of
marcus lacks the brilliant blue colouration of the male.
Some taxonomists still refer to Morpho
marcus by its former name Morpho adonis,
which is now regarded as an invalid synonym. The butterfly is found from
Colombia to Guyana, and south across the Amazonian region to Peru.
Habitats
This species is found in mid-elevation rainforest at altitudes between about
300-1000m.
Lifecycle
I have no data specific
to marcus. The eggs of most other
Morpho species are dome-shaped and pale
green with a narrow reddish ring near the top. Most Morphos lay apparently their
eggs singly but several Morpho species have
gregarious larvae, strongly suggesting that their eggs are laid in clusters.
Fully
grown larvae are plump, with a large head. Their bodies are beautifully
patterned with fine longitudinal lines of bright red, yellow and black, and
covered with fine brown hairs which are tufted near the head and tail, and in
the middle of the back. Morpho larvae feed on the leaves of a wide range of
trees in the family Fabaceae including
Macharium,
Pterocarpus,
Lonchocarpus, Swartzia and Dalbergia.
The larvae have eversible glands on the thorax which emit a
strong odour as a defence against predators. The pupae are pale green and bulbous,
and are suspended from a stem or leaf of the foodplant.
Adult behaviour
To be
completed.
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