Aurora Morpho, Morpho
aurora (Westwood, 1851) male. Murata, Yungas february 9, 2009. Photographer; Lars Andeersen
The spectacular blue
Morphos bred in commercial breeding programs, where
iridescent wings are used for the manufacture of jewelry
and messages in wooden tray and the like. One species (Morpho
rhetenor) is
very popular in butterfly boxes, they Morphos butterflies
are often sold without abdomen, as it is removed because
its oily contents would otherwise discolour wings. There
is a large export of live Morphos-pupae for use in div.
tropic and butterfly houses in the western world.
Aurora Morpho, Morpho
aurora (Westwood, 1851) male. Caranavi, Yungas december 10, 2014. Photographer; Peter Møllmann
Aurora
Morpho, Morpho aurora (Westwood, 1851)
female. Caranavi Highlands, Yungas, Bolivia december 11, 2018.
Photographer; Peter Møllmann
Aurora Morpho, Morpho
aurora (Westwood, 1851) male. Caranavi, Yungas january 3, 2009. Photographer; Peter Møllmann
__________
Morpho aurora in slow motion
by Peter Møllmann
3th december 2017
Aurora Morpho, Morpho aurora (Westwood, 1851)
male.
From the highlands near Caranavi Bolivia december 3, 2017.
Made with sony experia xz premium. Photographer; Peter Møllmann
Caranavi d. 3 december 2017 Peter Møllmann;
Today I went to the highlands near Caranavi.
Arriving at the location we crossed a smal river
and 20+ auroras flew up from their mudpudling.
I saw hundreds of Aurora
Morpho's in a few
hours. All very fresh, most common butterfly
today, never saw so many. In the slo mo parts my
sony xz premium smartphone take 960fps
_____________________________
Morpho aurora from Rio Tunki
Bolivia 240fps
d. 29 march 2020
Rio Tunki 1738 m., Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia february 2020. Photographer; Peter Møllmann
_____________________________
The blue Morphos (Morphini) is the most famous
butterflies from South America, often large up to
20 cm. in wingspan when Morpho
hecuba
is the largest butterflies in the neotropical
continent. There are also Morphos down to 7.5 cm
in size of M. sulkowskyi & M.
aurora,
small species typically found in higher altitudes
of the Andes east slopes.
Most species have an
iridescent blue color on top. The blue color on
the upper side due to refraction of light in the
delicate tight scales which lack color pigment
scales sits right advanced so they can display
the entire color scale in a few moments when the
light is broken at the right angle. The underside
is often in brown shades, bearing Eyed in various
sizes that reveal their family connection to
Satyr family (Satyrinae).
There are also
white Morphos; (M. epistrophus & M.
polyphemus) and Morphos; brown with gray or
orange bands on the upper side (M.
Hecuba &
M. Telemachus).
The origin of Morphinae
dates
back about 55 MY and occurred in the Brazilian
Shield (Mata Atlantica), the oldest part of Sout
America that emerged. Considering the length of
the evolutionary period, the number of species of
Morpho (30) proves quite limited, especially if
one considers the immense size of their
geographical distribution. This small number
contrast with the considerable number of
subspecies: at last 220.
The single
species Morpho helenor has branched out into 48
subspecies spread from Tamaulipas, Mexico's east
coast, Central America, Amazonian basin to
northern Argentina. The diversity of subspecies
is due, to a large extent, to the fact that
Morpho are not migratory?
De blå Morphoer
(Morphini), er de mest kendte
dagsommerfugle fra Sydamerika, ofte store op til
20 cm. i vingefang, hvor Morpho
hecuba
er den største dagsommerfugl i den neotropiske
verdensdel. Der findes også morphoer helt ned
til 7,5 cm i størrelse, hvor M.
lympharis& M.
auroraer de små arter
som typisk findes i større højder på
Andesbjergenes østlige skråninger.
De fleste arter
har et iriserende blå farve på oversiden. Den
blå farve på oversiden skyldes brydning af
lyset i de fine tætsiddende skæl som mangler
farve pigment, skællene sidder ret avanceret så
de kan vise hele farve-skalaen i nogle få
øjeblikke når lyset brydes i den rette vinkel.
Undersiden som ofte er i brune nuancer, er
forsynet med øjepletter i forskellige
størrelser, der afslører deres
slægtsforbindelse til randøjerne (satyrinae).
Der findes også
hvide morphoer (M. epistrophus, M.
polyphemus) og brune morphoer med grå eller
orange bånd på oversiden (M.
hecuba, M. telemachus).
Oprindelsen af Morphinae går tilbage til omkring
for 55 milioner år siden, og fandt sted på den
brasilianske kontinentalplade (Mata Atlantica),
den ældste del af Sydamerika der er opstået
føt pladerne fra vest pressede sig under, og
dermed opstod Andesbjergene.
I betragtning af
længden af den evolutionære periode, antallet
af arter af Morpho (30) som er ret
begrænset, især hvis man betragter den enorme
størrelse af deres geografiske udbredelse. Men
det er tankevækkende det lille antal arter
kontrast de mange underarter, ialt 22o
underarter.
F.eks. har Morpho
helenor hele
48 underarter udbredt fra Tamaulipas, Mexico
østkyst, Mellemamerika, Amazonas til
Andesbjergene i det centrale Sydamerika til
nordlig Argentina.
In
Bolivia, I have seen 13 species of 45 species Morphini genus
contained in the neotropiske region: Antirrhea (13) Caerois (2) Morpho (30).
Their distribution is from Mexico north to
Misiones, Argentina in the south. Link to Morphinigenus of Bolivian
Butterflies Checklist.
I Bolivia har jeg set 12 arter af de 45 arter Morphini genus der findes i den
neotropiske region: Antirrhea (13), Caerois (2), Morpho (30). Deres udbredelse
er fra Mexico i nord til Misiones, Argentina i
syd. Link til Morphini genus på Bolivian
Butterflies Checklist.
_____________________________
The
beautiful blue Morphos males are often
seen along rivers and small streams, where they
fly searching for ladies and is territorale and
chasing other males away. Morphos go to rotten
fruit and suck minerals in sandy banks along
streams. Females live a more covert lives up the
leaves, and are rarely seen. Morphos habitat is
the rain-forests of the tropical zone, however
individual species such as Morpho sulkowskyi
existence from 2000 m.a. up to 2900 m. altitude in
fog-forests in the Andes eastern slopes.
_____________________________
Foodplants for Morpho's
Females lay eggs
on misc. legumes, Fabales, one of the largest
systems in the plant kingdom with approx. 17,000
species belonging to one family, papilionaceous
plants (Fabaceae, Leguminosae). The family consists of
three sub-families; caesalpinia, mimose and legumes sub-family. In Families
often considered previously as independent
families. As the name says, is the fruit a pod.
One of the most familiar legumes are Brazilwood. - The tree, which put
its name to half the world ... (Leguminosae) - Brazilwood.
The smaller
Morpho species from the Andean mountain like the Morpho
aurora,
M. lympharis and M.
zephyrites use Andean bamboo, Chusquea species (Poaceae).
The hairy brown
caterpillars that live in colonies are quite
toxic, and their hair will irritate the skin when
touched. The total life cycle of Morphos
butterfly, from egg to death, is approximately
130 to 140 days. The adult (imago) butterflies
live about a month's time. They exist in several
consecutive generations offset from each other
year round, but mostly in the rainy season. In
drought time goes on they are often in a
diapause. Morphos However, enemies, there is a
parasitic fly that lives in the adult butterfly's
abdomen, making it to had a strange behavior in
its last life. Morphos, whose name was inspired
by Morpheus who had dreams god in Greek
mythology.
_____________________________
Morpho aurora in slow motion
by
Peter Møllmann
3th december 2017
Aurora Morpho, Morpho
aurora (Westwood, 1851) male.
From the highlands near Caranavi Bolivia december
3, 2017.
Made with sony experia xz premium. Photographer; Peter
Møllmann
Caranavi d. 3
december 2017
Peter Møllmann;
Today I went to the highlands near
Caranavi. Arriving at the location we
crossed a smal river and 20+ auroras flew
up from their mudpudling.
I saw hundreds of Aurora
Morpho's
in a few hours. All very fresh, most
common butterfly today, never saw so
many. In the slo mo parts my sony xz
premium smartphone take 960fps
_____________________________
Morpho aurora from Rio
Tunki Bolivia 240fps
d. 29 march 2020
Rio Tunki 1738 m., Caranavi,
Yungas, Bolivia february
2020. Photographer; Peter
Møllmann
_____________________________
Morpho'erne has
also played supporting roles in movies like
"Papillon" where Henri "Papillon" Charrière who
becomes innocently convicted for the murder of a
pimp and sent to a French penal colony in French
Guinea, South America. One of the scenes in the
movie are from the jungle, where the prisoners
are set to capture Morphos. Their scale was again
used for banknotes!
Morpho'erne har
også spillet biroller i film som "Papillon" hvor Henri
"Papillon" Charrieres som bliver uskyldigt
dømt for mordet på en alfons og sendt til en
fransk straffekoloni i Fransk Guinea, Sydamerika.
En af scenerne i filmen er fra junglen, hvor
fangerne er sat til at fange morphoerne. Deres
skæl blev den gang brugt til pengesedler!
Morpho helenor. Santa Rosa de Quilo-Quilo,
Yungas, Bolivia 28 January 2009. Fotograf:
Lars
Andersen
Nature
photographers in
Denmark
= NFD
has incurred
Year
competition d.
2 to 4 October 2009
in Grenaa. In the category of insects won
Lars Andersen
with a picture of a flying Morphos over
waterfalls; Tornesol.
Naturfotograferne
i Danmark = NFD
har afholdt Årskonkurrencen
fra d.
2 til 4 oktober 2009
i Grenå. I
kategorien insekter
vandt Lars Andersen
med et billede af en flyvende morpho over
vandfald; Tornesol.