Morpho aega

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Aega Morpho
Museum specimwn. Male.
Museum specimwn. Male.
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
(unranked) Rhopalocera
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Morphinae
Tribe: Morphini
Genus: Morpho
Species: M. aega
Binomial name
Morpho aega
(Hubner ,1822)

The Aega Morpho (Morpho aega) is a Neotropical butterfly found in Paraguay, Argentina and Brazil. Morpho aega is a species group which may be composed of several species.

Many subspecies have been described.

[edit] Etymology

Aega was a daughter of Helios and of such dazzling brightness that the Titans in their attack upon Olympus became frightened and requested their mother Gaia conceal her in the earth.

Plate from Seitz (1907) depicting M. aega aega, (Hubner, 1822) and M. aega bisanthe Fruhstorfer, 1911
Plate from Seitz (1907) depicting M. aega aega, (Hubner, 1822) and M. aega bisanthe Fruhstorfer, 1911

.

[edit] References

  • Eugène Le Moult with P. Real Les Morpho d'Amerique du Sud et Centrale. E. Le Moult, Paris: Editions scientifiques du Cabinet entomologique E. Le Moult. 1962-1963.
  • Adalbert Seitz (Ed.) 1907. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde, vol. 5. Stuttgart, Alfred Kernen.

[edit] External links

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