Our newest SOAR Butterfly of the Week is a fan-favorite here at the Garden. The blue morpho (also known as Morpho peleides) caught the attention of last year’s SOAR visitors with its size, activity and fondness to land on unsuspecting guests, so we knew we needed to bring it back this year. And with all the attention this species gets inside the pavilion, we thought it was the perfect choice for our SOAR Butterfly of the Week. Here are some fun facts about the blue morpho so you can truly get to know this special member of the Garden family.
Fun facts
- Blue morphos are part of the Nymphalidae family.
- Their estimated lifespan is about a month.
- They can be found in their natural habitat – the rainforests of South America, Mexico and Central America.
- Adults are frugivores, or fruit feeders, and often feed on rotting fruits. Unlike most butterflies, they don’t visit flowers for nectar.
- While we find their brilliant blue wings stunning, the color is caused by a diffraction of the light from millions of tiny scales on its wings, which scares away predators.
- When their wings are closed, you’ll notice eyespots on the underside of the wing, which help them camouflage in the forest and scare predators. The number of eyespots varies on each butterfly.
- Morpho peleides is the most common of the Morpho species.
- They are big! Their wingspan ranges from 3.0 to 7.9 inches.
Want to see one for yourself? Make sure to get your tickets to SOAR today!
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