Residing in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest is among the most beautiful of all butterflies, the blue morpho butterfly. They can also be found in Central and South America. What is truly fascinating about these critters is that they actually aren’t even blue at all. More on that in a bit. There are 29 known species of blue morpho in the rainforests to date. While not endangered… yet, they are faced with challenges from over collecting, climate change, and habitat destruction.
First the Stats…
Scientific name: Morpho
Length: Up to 4 inches
Wingspan: Up to 8 inches
Lifespan: Up to 115 days
Now on to the Facts!
1.) Cultures view the blue morpho differently. Some believe that they bring wishes and others subscribe to the belief that they are a host to an evil spirit.
2.) Blue morphos are poisonous, if eaten. This helps them, defensively.
3.) The small tufts of hair on the caterpillar’s body can cause mild irritation to sensitive skin. But it’s nothing to write home about.
4.) In what is called constructive interference, when light shines on the small ridges on the butterfly’s scales, only the blue waves are reflected back. So they aren’t actually blue at all, it’s just the prism effect from light waves that makes them so beautifully blue.
5.) The outside of their wings is actually a series of brown pigments.
But wait, there’s more on the blue morpho butterfly!
To view more facts on this and many other critters, purchase my book Rainforest Critters. It’s only $17.99 for an 84 page book! Available now through Amazon. Click the logo to purchase your copy now:
Now a Short Blue Morpho Butterfly Video!
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