Sunset Morpho

Sunset Morpho
Dorsal view of male specimen (MHNT)
Ventral view of same specimen above
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Tribe: Morphini
Genus: Morpho
Species: M. hecuba
Binomial name
Morpho hecuba
Linnaeus, 1771

The Sunset Morpho (Morpho hecuba) is a Neotropical butterfly and the largest species in the genus Morpho. Its wingspan can reach 20 centimetres (7.9 in), but is usually from 13–15 centimetres (5.1–5.9 in). "M. hecuba is the largest known Morpho and one may also call it the most interesting, on account of its habits, its susceptibility to climatic influences and its tendency to develop polychromatic forms in both sexes."[1]

Geographic range

Dorsal and ventral views of male specimen

The Sunset Morpho is only found in the northern Amazon Basin and the Guianas.

Taxonomy

M. hecuba has several subspecies and has sometimes also included M. cisseis as a subspecies.

Behaviour

Plate from Seitz. Compare the size of M. hecuba with that of the three Morpho species at the top of the page.

"We are indebted to Dr. Hahnel for the most detailed information of its habits of flight. Hahnel calls it the king of the forest, and says that it traverses a wider area than any other butterfly, travelling perhaps 30 km. or more in two or three hours, continuous flight in quest of its mate, which it follows persistently for whole days, quite alone, over woods and water-courses. In the distance the flight of Morpho hecuba looks quiet and slow, but nevertheless it moves quickly enough to evade the collector and newly emerged insects in particular adopt an impetuous pace during their first hours of flight. Sometimes it happens that one of these apparently quietly hovering forms suddenly darts head downwards, and in this event it seems only to rise again with difficulty. They are driven to these violent erratic movements by dragon-flies, which lie in wait for them especially in marshy places and molest them from the tips of dry twigs, apparently more out of wantonness than from a desire to catch them." [1]

References

  1. 1 2 Fruhstorfer, H., 1913. Family: Morphidae. In A. Seitz (editor),Macrolepidoptera of the world,vol. 5: 333–356. Stuttgart: Alfred Kernen.


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