Blue Morpho Butterfly is a photograph by AnnaJo Vahle which was uploaded on February 20th, 2015.
Title
Blue Morpho Butterfly
Artist
AnnaJo Vahle
Medium
Photograph - Photography
Description
Blue Morpho Butterfly (Morpho peleides)
As its common name implies, the blue morpho butterfly's wings are bright blue, edged with black. The blue morpho is among the largest butterflies in the world. It's wings span from five to eight inches. Their vivid, iridescent blue coloring is a result of the microscopic scales on the back of their wings, which reflect light. The underside of the morpho's wings, on the other hand, is a dull brown color with many eyespots, This provides camouflage against predators such as birds and insects when its wings are closed. This one looks much like an owl's eye when the wings are closed. It is quite realistic in it's mimicry. When the blue morpho flies, the contrasting bright blue and dull brown colors flash. It looks like the morpho is appearing and disappearing. The males' wings are broader than those of the females and appear to be brighter in color. Blue morphos, like other butterflies, also have two clubbed antennas, two fore wings and two hind wings, six legs and three body segments – the head, thorax and abdomen.
Blue morphos live in the tropical forests of Latin America from Mexico to Colombia. Adults spend most of their time on the forest floor and in the lower shrubs and trees of the understory with their wings folded. However, when looking for mates, the blue morpho will fly through all layers of the forest. The blue morpho's entire lifespan lasts only 115 days, which means most of their time is spent eating reproducing.
Blue morphos are severely threatened by deforestation of tropical forests and habitat fragmentation. Humans provide a direct threat to this spectacular creature because their beauty attracts artist and collectors from all over the globe who wish to capture and display them. Aside from humans, birds like the jacamar and flycatcher are the adult butterfly's natural predators.
I saw this beauty on the ground/path at the Florida Museum of Natural History's Butterfly Rainforest. This is in Gainesville, Florida.
Uploaded
February 20th, 2015
Statistics
Viewed 909 Times - Last Visitor from Romeo, MI on 04/15/2024 at 7:19 PM
Colors
Embed
Share
Comments (36)
Bonnie Mason
A wonderful capture, AnnaJo! I love seeing these butterflies I'll never see in my backyard! LF
Recently Viewed
