Morpho achilles Linnaeus, 1758)
Achilles Morpho
Papilio achilles (Linnaeus, 1758)
About 30 species of Morpho are described in the Neotropics (Lamas, 2004). Morpho achilles occurs with 8 subspecies (Lamas, 2004). The blue of the wings can be seen throughout the year and shines when crossing a patch of sunlight. Despite ist blue color, easily disappears in the shaded understory when rests with closed wings. In central Amazonia is less abundant than Morpho helenor – another species very similar and common at central Amazônia.
Brasil; Colombia; Costa Rica; Ecuador; Guyane française; Perú; Suriname; Trinidad and Tobago; Uruguay; Venezuela
Occur throughout all the year
Adults feed on decomposing fruits
Host-plants recorded at Brazil and compiled by Beccaloni et al. (2008):
Bignoniaceae: Unidentified species
Erythroxylaceae: Erythroxylum sp.
Luguminosae-Mimosoideae: Inga spp.; Papilionoideae: Dahlstedtia pinnata, Dalbergia sp., Machaerium oblongifolium, Myrocarpus sp. Platymiscium floribundum, Pterocarpus violaceus.
Musaceae: Unidentified species
Rubiaceae: Genipa americana
blue, brown, white, black
forest, forest edge
- Lamas G. (2004):
- Atlas of neotropical Lepidoptera - Checklist: Part 4A Hesperioidea - Papilionoidea. Book.: 1-439
- Beccaloni G.W, Viloria A.L., Hall S.K., Robinson G.S. (2008):
- Catalogue of the hostplants of the Neotropical butterflies. Book., London, S.E.A., Ribes, CYTED, Natural History Museum, IVIC: 1-536