Morpho richardus

Morpho richardus, or Richard's morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly found only in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Richard's morpho
Centre butterfly, top row, among others from Morpho. Plate from Adalbert Seitz.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Morpho
Species:
M. richardus
Binomial name
Morpho richardus

Description

Male indefinite greenish, female of yellowish bronze green. Both above and beneath like a small M. hercules. Forewing with three rows of submarginal yellow dots. The patch before the apex of the cell broadly dull gold yellow, with scattered black scales. Discal area of the forewing yellowish. Distal margin rather narrow, brown black, base of both wings light green. Under surface: forewing with four small, elongate ocelli of about uniform size, with narrow black irises. Proximally to the ocelli there are three very large, triangular grey-yellow median spots. Underside of the hindwing predominantly red brown with violet sheen. Median band grey violet. Length of the forewing 58 mm.[1]

Biology

The larva feeds on Abuta selloana.

References
  1. Fruhstorfer, H., 1913. Family: Morphidae. In A. Seitz (editor), Macrolepidoptera of the World, vol. 5: 333–356. Stuttgart: Alfred Kernen.
  • Le Moult (E.) & Réal (P.), 1962-1963. Les Morpho d'Amérique du Sud et Centrale, Editions du cabinet entomologique E. Le Moult, Paris.


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