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Cisseis Morpho

Morpho cisseis

first update d. 28 november 2024
last update d. 28 november 2024

Morpho cisseis. Rio Zongo, Yungas, Bolivia January,2009 & 2010. Photographer; Lars Andersen

Cisseis Morpho, Morpho cisseis . Caranavi, elev. 1000 m. Yungas, Bolivia anuary 10, 2014. Photographer: Ole Andersen

Peter Møllmann have captured one of the largest butterflies flying around in Bolivia:

Cisseis Morpho, Morpho cisseis ssp. cisseistricta (Le Moult & Réal, 1962).

Pusiliani, Caranavi, Yungas, Bolivia January 16, 2016. Photographer; David Norfleet

Morpho cisseis ssp. cisseistrica (Le Moult & Réal, 1962).
Rio Broncini 585 m., Caranavi Valley, Yungas, Bolivia February 21, 2022. 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. aurora er 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.

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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 Morphini genus of Bolivian Butterflies Checklist.

Bolivian Morphini species: Antirrhea (6) Caerois (1) Morpho (17)

	Subgenus Deyrollia (Cassildé & Blandin, 2010):
1	Morpho marcus ssp. intermedia (Schaller, 1785).
	Subgenus Iphimedeia (Fruhstorfer, 1912):
2	Morpho hercules ssp. hercules (Dalman, 1823)
3	Morpho telemachus ssp. telemachus (Linnaeus, 1758).
	Morpho telemachus ssp. exsusarion (Le Moult & Réal, 1962).
4	Morpho theseus ssp. theseus (Deyrolle, 1860).
5	Morpho amphitryon ssp. susarion (Fruhstorfer, 1912).
	Subgenus Laurschwartzia (Blandin, 2007):
6	Morpho hecuba ssp. obidonus (Fruhstorfer, 1905)? Caranavi, 2006: Lars
7	Morpho cisseis ssp. cisseis (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1860). Cisseis Morpho.
	Morpho cisseis ssp. phanodemus (Hewitson, 1869).
	Morpho cisseis ssp. cissaistrica (Le Moult & Réal, 1962).
	Morpho cisseis ssp. cabrera (Blandin & Lamas, 2007).
	Morpho cisseis ssp. rondoniensis (Jongerling, 2010).
	Subgenus Megamede (Hübner, 1819):
8	Morpho rhetenor ssp. rhetenor (Cramer, 1775).
	Morpho rhetenor ssp. subtusmurina (Le Moult & Réal, 1962)
	Morpho rhetenor ssp. tello (Blandin, 2007)
	Genus Morpho (Fabricius, 1807):
9	Morpho achilles ssp. achilles (Linnaeus, 1758).
	Morpho achilles ssp. vitrea (A. Butler, 1866).
	Morpho achilles ssp. agamedes (Fruhstorfer, 1912).
	Morpho achilles ssp. patrolus (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1861).
	Morpho achilles ssp. phokylides (Fruhstorfer, 1912).
	Morpho achilles ssp. songo (Weber, 1944).
10	Morpho helenor ssp. helenor (Cramer, 1776).
	Morpho helenor ssp. achillaena (Hübner, 1823).
	Morpho helenor ssp. achillides (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1867).
	Morpho helenor ssp. coelestis (A. Butler, 1866).
	Morpho helenor ssp. leontius (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1867).
	Morpho helenor ssp. papirius (Hopffer, 1874).
	Morpho helenor ssp. peleides (Kollar, 1850).
	Morpho helenor ssp. pindarus (Fruhstorfer, 1910).
	Morpho helenor ssp. popilius (Hopffer, 1874).
	Morpho helenor ssp. prometa (Blandin & Gareca, 2011).
	Morpho helenor ssp. theodorus (Fruhstorfer, 1907).
	Morpho helenor ssp. rugitaeniatus (Fruhstorfer, 1907).
	Morpho helenor ssp. tucupita (Le Moult, 1925).
11	Morpho deidamia ssp. diomedes (Weber, 1944).
	Morpho deidamia ssp. electra (Röber, 1903).
	Morpho deidamia ssp. grambergi (Weber, 1944).
	Morpho deidamia ssp. neoptolemus (Wood, 1863).
	Morpho deidamia ssp. steinbachi (Le Moult & Réal, 1962).
	Subgenus Grasseia (Le Moult & Réal, 1962):
12	Morpho menelaus ssp. didius (Hopffer, 1874).
	Morpho menelaus ssp. occidentalis (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1862).
	Morpho menelaus ssp. terrestris (A. Butler, 1866).
	Morpho menelaus ssp. zischkei (H. Fischer, 1962).
	Morpho menelaus ssp. godartii (Guérin-Méneville, 1844).
	Morpho menelaus ssp. godartii f. lachaumei (Blandin, 2007). Cites Appendix III. Miljø- og Planlægningsudvalget 2011
	Morpho menelaus ssp. godartii f. titogilberti (Blandin & Gareca, 2011).
	Subgenus Cytheritis (Le Moult & Réal, 1962):
13	Morpho sulkowskyi ssp. sulkowskyi (Kollar, 1850).
	Morpho sulkowskyi ssp. hoppiana (Niepelt, 1923).
	Morpho sulkowskyi ssp. (Kollar, 1850).
14	Morpho aurora ssp. aurora (Westwood, 1851).
	Morpho aurora ssp. auroreola (Fruhstorfer, 1913).
	Morpho aurora ssp. breyeri (Orfila, 1963).
15	Morpho lympharis ssp. lympharis (Butler, 1873).
	Morpho lympharis ssp. eros (Staudinger, 1892).
16	Morpho zephyritis (Butler, 1873).
	Morpho zephyritis ssp. cesarsamensis (Blandin, 2007).
17	Morpho absoloni (E. May, 1924).

	Genus Caerois (Hübner, 1822):
18	Caerois chorinaeus chorinaeus (Fabricius, 1775),
	Caerois chorinaeus gerdrudtus (Fabricius, 1773),

	Genus Antirrhea (Hübner, 1822):
19	Antirrhea geryon geryon (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1862).
	Antirrhea geryon geryonides (Weymer, 1909).
20	Antirrhea ornata (A. Butler, 1870).
21	Antirrhea phasiana (A. Butler, 1870).
22	Antirrhea philaretes ssp. philaretes (C. Felder & R. Felder, 1862).
	Antirrhea philaretes ssp. avernus (Hopffer, 1874).
23	Antirrhea taygetina taygetina (A. Butler, 1868).
24	Antirrhea watkinsi (Rosenberg & Talbot, 1914).

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.

Reference to:

Les Morpho

14th october 2016

Les Morpho: Distribution, diversification, behavior
Jean-Marc Gayman; Franck Merlier; Jacques Ouvaroff; Bruce Purser; Daniel Lacomme

Editor of France Lépidoptéristes Association

On Nouveautés Éditeurs the retail price (including VAT): £ 115

408 pages; 30.5 x 22 cm; joined
ISBN 978-2-9558531-0-8
EAN 9782955853108