Menelaus Blue Morpho
The Menelaus blue morpho (or Morpho menelaus) is a butterfly species found in the tropical grasslands and woodlands of Central and South America.
It has distinctive bright blue and turquoise wings lined by black wing borders with white spots. The scales on their wings are structured in a way that give them a distinct, iridescent appearance. The underside of its wings are brown and populated with multiple eye spots. The caterpillars of this butterfly are red-brown with green patches and are equipped with irritating spikes to deter predators.
Male Menelaus blue morphos are smaller and have much brighter blue wings with thinner borders than females. On average, the Menelaus blue has a wingspan of 12cm.
Morpho menelaus
Exhibit needs
- Exhibit types
- Walkthrough
- Terrain
- None
- Temperature
- 21–35 °C (variance 5 °C below, 5 °C above)
- Humidity
- 65–85% (variance 5 below, 5 above)
- Food
- Fruit and vegetables
- Litter
- 1–1
- Overpopulation at
- 8 (extreme 10)
- Colony up to
- 15
- Breeds in
- All seasons
Overview
- Scientific name
- Morpho menelaus
- Class
- Insecta
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated
- Enclosure
- Large exhibit
- Temperature
- 21 °C – 35 °C
- Humidity
- 65% – 85%
- Lifespan
- 0.5 yr – 1 yr
- Content
- Base game