Morpho menelaus
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| Menelaus Blue Morpho | ||||||||||||||
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| Morpho menelaus Linnaeus, 1758 |
. The Menelaus Blue Morpho (Morpho menelaus) is an iridescent tropical butterfly of Central and South America. It has a wing span of six inches (15 centimeters). The adult drinks juice from rotten fruit with its long proboscis, which is like a sucking tube. The adult males have brighter colours than the females.
The larva eats plants at night. The larva is red-brown in colour with bright patches of lime-green or yellow. The larvae are also highly cannibalistic.
The blue morpho was featured in the 2004 Canadian-British film The Blue Butterfly, starring William Hurt.
[edit] Etymology
Named to honour the Greek mythological figure Menelaus, a king of Ancient Sparta.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Morpho menelaus gynandomorph and normal Morpho menelaus in gallery of Morphinae.
- NSG Voucher specimen.Photograph of underside.
- description of Morpho menelaus
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