Morpho amphitryon is a Neotropical butterfly.
Description
Morpho amphitryon is a very large butterfly with a wingspan of 150âÂÂ160 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."
Habitat
Morpho amphitryon lives in Andean montane forests at altitudes from 700 to 2000 metres above sea level.
Status
Morpho amphitryon is a "scarce" or rare species.
Subspecies
- M. a. amphitryon (Peru)
- M. a. azurita <small>Duchêne et Blandin, 2009</small>
- M. a. susarion <small>Fruhstorfer, 1913</small> (Bolivia)
- M. a. cinereus <small>Duchêne, 1985</small> (Peru)
Distribution
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 MartÃÂn departments. It is a Tropical Andes species.
Related Species (Species Group)
References
- 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) page 231 fig.4 (Peru)
External links