Morpho didius, the giant blue morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly belonging to the subfamily Morphinae of family Nymphalidae. It is considered, by some authors, to be a subspecies of Morpho menelaus.
Description
This specimen is a gynandromorph (Musée d'histoire naturelle de Lille).
Morpho didius has a wingspan reaching 150 millimetres (5.9 in), making it one of the largest of Morpho species. The dorsal side of the wings are iridescent and metallic blue, and the forewings are quite elongated.
Distribution
This species can be found in Peru.
Biology
The larva feeds on palm trees.
References
- BioLib.cz
- "Morpho Fabricius, 1807" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
- Butterflies of America Images of type and other specimens of Morpho menelaus didius.
- Better Butterfly Creations
- Paul Smart, 1976 The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Butterfly World in Color. London, Salamander: Encyclopedie des papillons. Lausanne, Elsevier Sequoia (French language edition) ISBN 9780948427046 ISBN 0600313816 page 235 fig. 7 female (Peru)