Morpho lympharis

Morpho lympharis, the Lympharis morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly found in Peru and Bolivia.

Lympharis morpho
From Chanchamayo Province, Peru
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Nymphalidae
Genus:
Morpho
Species:
M. lympharis
Binomial name
Morpho lympharis
(Butler, 1873)

Description

Morpho lympharis is a large butterfly. The crystal-clear wings are suffused blue or iridescent pink. The reverse side is decorated with a row of ocelli.

Morpho lympharis replaces M. portis in the Andean region, but has hitherto only been found in Peru and was described from Paucartambo Province. The male above somewhat darker blue than M. aega and with subapical white punctiform spots on the forewing. Underside of both wings with three ocelli, of which the apical and the two intermediate ones are elongate-oval in shape. Otherwise as M. portis.[1]

Taxonomy

Blandin (1993), considers Morpho lympharis conspecific with Morpho sulkowskyi and that it is one of a north-south succession of subspecies spread from Colombia to Bolivia. Lamas (2004) considers that there are two species, M. sulkowskyi ranging from Colombia to central Peru, and M. lympharis, ranging from central Peru to Bolivia.

Habitat

Morpho sulkowskyi and Morpho lympharis uniquely occupy Tropical Andes cloud forests, at altitudes between 1500 and 3500 m.

References
  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.


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