Morpho helenor

Morpho helenor (Morpho helenor)

Phylum — arthropoda
Class — insecta
Order — lepidoptera
Family — nymphalidae

Genus – morpho

Appearance

The fully grown larva is plump, with a large head. The body is 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.

The wingspan of this butterfly reaches 160 mm. The wings are black with a broad vertical bright blue stripe. The underparts are olive-brown with white, black, yellow and red concentric rings forming eyespots.

Habitat

Morpho helenor is a widespread and common species found throughout the neotropical region from Mexico to Bolivia.

Behavior

The bouncy zigzag flight of this butterfly is unmistakable. Males patrol back and forth along the courses of streams in the dappled sunlight of their forest habitats. They are most active in the mornings, and spend the afternoons mud-puddling, feeding at rotting fruit or at sap runs or sitting motionless on foliage in light gaps.

Females are seen far less often, usually only in late morning when they fly along trails, resting regularly amongst vegetation.

Both sexes close their wings immediately upon landing, but periodically flick them open to give the briefest glimpse of the dazzling blue upperside. This behavior is most pronounced in mud-puddling males, which repeatedly flicker their wings as they hop about on the ground seeking dissolved minerals.

The caterpillars have glands in the thorax that emit a strong odor protecting them from predators.

Diet

Caterpillar feeds on Macharium, Swartzia, Lonchocarpus, Pterocarpus and Dalbergia – all trees in the family Fabaceae.

Reproduction

For their reproduction you need an aviary with a size of 200 x 200 x 200 cm. The domed egg is pale green with a narrow reddish ring near the top. It is laid singly on leaves of the foodplants. The incubation period is 8-10 days. It is better to keep the caterpillars in terrariums with good ventilation for 6-8 insects. In the terrarium, you need to place a branch of a forage plant. Forage plants should be replaced every 3-4 days. The temperature is 24-26 ^o C and humidity 65-70%. The caterpillars develop for almost 2 months. The pupa is pale green and bulbous, with a short and sturdy peduncle, suspended from a stem. The pupa stage lasts for about 2 weeks. The butterfly lives for 2 weeks.

In captivity

The mesh terrarium with a size of 50 × 50 × 70 mm is suitable for keeping butterflies. Room temperature is necessary. Daylight time is 12 hours.

You can feed the butterflies with an overripe banana, orange slices and honey syrup diluted with boiled water in a ratio of 1: 10.