Butterfly facts about the blue morpho butterfly

One of the most amazing animals in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America is the Blue Morpho Butterfly (Morpho Menelaus). Its amazing blue wings that can reflect light make it not only amazing but also beautiful. Blue Morphos go through drastic changes in their appearance. They are born as red-brown caterpillars with lime-green patches on its back. Like all butterflies, they then turn into a pupa and after several weeks are "born again", but this time as beautiful butterflies. They have a wingspan of 13-17 cm (7 in), bright blue wings with tiny brown dots along the edges. The underside of their wings is colored like the foliage. A very interesting fact about their appearance is that their wings are composed of tiny reflective scales that will help it survive in its dangerous habitat while looking for food.

Butterfly facts about the blue morpho butterflies

Blue Morphos would never be good pets because they need to live in the tropical rainforests of Central and South America where there is a humidity level of 70-88% and an average temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit (40 degrees Celsius). They live in the canopy layer but often venture into the forest floor. They do this in order to find the rotten fruits they like to drink the juice from. The two most interesting facts about their feeding are that they taste food with their legs and that they are cannibals as caterpillars. Their cannibalism is their only threat.

Blue Morpho Butterflies have several predators. They are: baby jaguars that kill them thinking it's all a game, birds, and fish when they are near water. But their worst nightmare are humans like you and me who venture into their peaceful habitat to catch them and sell them in glass cases to people who will hang them on a wall and won't even care when it falls and breaks. Through out the centuries they have fought for survival.

One of the most interesting facts about Blue Morphos is that there are 50 different species of Morpho butterflies. All of them are very similar, the only difference being their wing color and/or size. Another interesting fact is that they are called Morpho butterflies because the underside of their wings is the same color as a moth's wings. This might all sound very interesting and amazing, but here comes the most interesting fact of all.

Butterfly facts about the blue morpho butterfly