Morpho amphitryon

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Morpho amphitryon
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Morpho
Species:
M. amphitryon
Binomial name
Morpho amphitryon
Synonyms
  • Morpho (Iphimedeia) theseus amphitrion f. azurita Fruhstorfer, 1913
  • Morpho hercules antaeus Röber, 1927
  • Morpho (Iphimedeia) amphitrion amphitrion f. persion Le Moult & Réal, 1962
  • Morpho amphitryon duponti Duchêne, 1985
  • Iphimedeia amphitryon susarion Fruhstorfer, 1913
  • Morpho amphitrion cinereus f. malva Duchêne, 1985
  • Morpho amphitrion cinereus f. blandini Duchêne, 1985

Morpho amphitryon is a Neotropical butterfly.

Description[edit]

Morpho amphitryon is a very large butterfly with a wingspan of 150–160 mm. The top of the wings is a blue grey metallic colour with a wide grey border embellished by a submarginal row of white spots. The outer edge of the forewing is concave and the hindwings have a scalloped edge. "amphitrion Stgr. [as race of Morpho theseus], from Chanchamayo, South Peru, has the forewing much elongated, with the cell blue-grey. Males also occur with the upper surface suffused with blue-white throughout."[1]

Habitat[edit]

Morpho amphitryon lives in Andean montane forests at altitudes from 700 to 2000 metres above sea level.

Status[edit]

Morpho amphitryon is a "scarce" or rare species.

Subspecies[edit]

  • M. a. amphitryon (Peru)
  • M. a. azurita Duchêne et Blandin, 2009
  • M. a. susarion Fruhstorfer, 1913 (Bolivia)
  • M. a. cinereus Duchêne, 1985 (Peru)

Distribution[edit]

This species is present in Bolivia and Peru. The northernmost population is in the mountain chain which forms the border between the Amazonas and San Martín departments. It is a Tropical Andes species.

References[edit]

  1. ^ Fruhstorfer, H. 1913. Family: Morphidae. In A. Seitz (editor), Macrolepidoptera of the World, vol. 5: 333–356. Stuttgart: Alfred Kernen.
  • Le Moult (E.) & Réal (P.), 1962-1963. Les Morpho d'Amérique du Sud et Centrale, Editions du cabinet entomologique E. Le Moult, Paris.
  • Duchêne, G. & Blandin, P., 2009. Les sous-espèces de Morpho (Iphimedeia) amphitryon Staudinger, 1887 en Bolivie et dans le sud du Pérou, et leurs rapports avec les sous-espèces de Morpho (Iphimedia) telemachus (Linnaeus, 1758) (Lepidoptera : Nymphalidae, Morphinae). Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France. 114(3) : 373-382.
  • 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 231 fig.4 (Peru)

External links[edit]