Hobbies And Interests
Color and Markings
The blue morpho is only blue on the tops of the wings. In fact, according to the St. Louis Zoo website, the wings are not really blue at all. The surface of the wing scales has tiny ridges that reflect blue light, so technically it is really the color of the light and not the wing that we see. Underneath, the wings are patterned in shades of brown. The underside of the wings also contains a pair of eye spots that my scare off or confuse a predator.
Habitat
The habitat of the blue morpho ranges from Mexico to South America in the rainforests. Adult morphos live mostly near the forest floor and favor shrubs and trees in the lower regions of the underforest. Most of the time, they will not flash their blue wings in order to remain hidden from predators. However, glimpses of their blue color against the brown and green of the rainforest can be seen when they are in flight or when they are seeking a mate. Deforestation of the rainforest is a serious threat to their existence.
Life Cycle
Like other butterflies, the blue morpho goes through a series of physical changes in four stages. It starts out as an egg and hatches as a reddish-brown caterpillar. It spends much of its time eating until it is ready to change again. It builds a protective shell called a chrysalis and enters a stage known as the pupae. Finally it emerges as an adult butterfly and begins to eat again and seek a mate. The blue morpho lives for only 115 days.
Diet and Eating
When the morpho is a caterpillar, it uses a powerful mouth to chomp down on vegetation, but when it is an adult, it drinks its food through an elongated tube called a proboscis. Its diet is therefore only fluids, but there is still a wide range of options. They can nourish themselves with rotting fruits or decomposing carcasses of animals, as well as fungi, tree sap and even wet mud. They also have specialized sensors on their legs that allow them to taste fruit, and their antennae provide a sense of smell-taste.