Giant Light-Blue Morpho, Morpho godartii (Guérin-Méneville, 1844).
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Phylogeny: There is great variation among the various species of Morpho. Two groups of Morpho butterflies, achilles and hecuba, are distinct in flight behavior and vertical forest distribution. This habitat stratification between the two forest levels may have led to the diversification of the Morpho butterflies. Flight pattern behavior may also have led to changes in the wing shape to make it more suitable for gliding or flapping. Phylogenetic studies suggest these are indicative of ancestral qualities.

Morpho godartii is closely related to the species with Morpho menelaus is part of the achilles subclade of Morpho. Within this species, there are no differences between males and females regarding forewing length, aspect ratio and wing centroid measurement which may be indicative of morphological homogeneity. Despite the popularity of the genus Morpho, there is not a general consensus on the number of species or on how these species are defined. For instance, some consider M. amanthonte a subspecies of Morpho menelaus, but this is not supported by morphology.

Some older studies have identified 75 Morpho species, and newer studies recognize about 30 species. Despite the many species of the Morpho butterfly displayed in collections, they usually have mismatched or missing abdomens which make it difficult for research. Using combined studies of parsimony and Bayesian analyses, Morpho menelaus is associated with the M. helenor, M. sulkowskyi and M. amonthonte clades. The split of Morpho menelaus from M. amonthonte is estimated to fall under the Pliocene era.[

Morphology: The Giant Light Blue Morpho, Morpho godartii is one of thirty species of butterfly in the tribe Morphini. And its dorsal forewings and hindwings are a bright, iridescent blue edged with black, while the ventral surfaces are brown. Its iridescent wings are an area of interest in research because of their unique microstructure. Due to its characteristic light blue color, Morpho godartii and briliant blue Morpho menelaus is considered valuable among collectors and was widely hunted in the 20th century.

Wingspan: Its wingspan is approximately 16 cm.

Behavior: Two views (dorsal and ventral) of the same specimen
Females inhabit the forest understory and perch on tree stumps, but are found near the tree tops when it is time to lay eggs. Both sexes have a slow and floppy flight pattern and feed on rotting fruit that has dropped to the ground. Males tend to fly in open clearings or high in the canopy. These butterflies collectively emerge in the beginning and the end of the wet season in Cerrado. They do not appear in the middle of the wet season because the heavy rain can cause physical harm to their wings. Their emergence depends on the availability of food which is dependent on climate. For protection from the rain, Morpho godartii prefers small and enclosed spaces.

Adults/flighttime: One of the best seasonal predictors of adult butterfly occurrence is the ripening of zoochorous fruit. Adult emergence occurs primarily in the beginning of the wet season, when the climate and air humidity makes food resources plentiful and oviposition advantageous. The butterfly spends 3 to 4 weeks as an adult, and the entire life cycle is about 115 days. Adults fly along rivers, or anywhere that open land has been revealed.

Caterpillars: The caterpillars are red-brown in color with bright green spots. They are covered with bristles that release an irritant upon contact. Conversely, the peak of the caterpillar is in the dry season, a climate that is unsuitable for most animal communities. These caterpillars will enter diapause or suspend development and can delay pupation in order to survive this harsh period and the lack of water. As the dry season continues, the caterpillar population declines due to predation.
Foodplants: These social caterpillars feed on Erythroxylum, Dalbergia, and Fabaceae, and may prefer to feed on new leaves of host plants since these new leaves are easier and more nutritious to eat.

Range: Endemisk to smal locality in The eastern slopes vally of the Andes with the cloud forests 1200-2000 m.a.s.l. from central Peru to Yungas and Los Vulcanes in Bolivia.

The Morphinae are sometimes united with this group.
Morpho Fabricius, 1807. 39 species.

Similar species: In Bolivia, I have seen 13 species of 45 species Morphini genus contained in the neotropiske region: Antirrhea (13) Caerois (2) Morpho (39). Their distribution is from Mexico north to Misiones, Argentina in the south. Link to tribe Morphini genus of Bolivian Butterflies Checklist.

Only fly in the sunshine, go to rest as soon as a cloud shadows of the sun in the ravine. Is the most spetacular butterflies flying along the world's most dangerous road in Bolivia.

Lars Andersen: In Bolivia, I have seen 13 species of tribe Morphini 45 species 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.

Links to site about DNA and
Encyclopedia of Life and Butterflies Taxonomic and Biodiversity.

GBIF: Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
World distribution:
Menelaus Blue Morpho, Morpho menelaus (Linnaeus, 1758).

íNaturalist.org
began as the Master's final project of Nate Agrin, Jessica Kline,
and Ken-ichi Ueda at UC Berkeley's School of Information in 2008.
Menelaus Blue Morpho, Morpho menelaus (Linnaeus, 1758).

Butterflies of America and the Interactive Listing of American Butterflies.
Morpho menelaus ssp. godartii (Guérin-Méneville, 1844) TL: Bolivia M T.

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GBIF: Global Biodiversity Information Facility.
World distribution:
Giant Light-Blue Morpho, Morpho godartii ssp. godartii (Guérin-Méneville, 1844).

íNaturalist.org
began as the Master's final project of Nate Agrin, Jessica Kline,
and Ken-ichi Ueda at UC Berkeley's School of Information in 2008.
Giant Light-Blue Morpho, Morpho godartii ssp. godartii (Guérin-Méneville, 1844).