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Common Morpho

Morpho peleides

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Field Notes

Description:

"The brilliant blue color in the butterfly's wings is caused by the diffraction of the light from millions of tiny scales on its wings. It uses this to frighten away predators, by flashing its wings rapidly. The wingspan of the Blue Morpho butterfly ranges from 7.5–20 cm (3.0–7.9 in). " - Wikipedia

Habitat:

San Diego Zoo Safari Park's Butterfly exhibit. Their natural range is "the rainforests of South America, and can be found in Mexico and Central America." - Wikipedia

Notes:

Aka Peleides Blue Morpho or The Emperor. "The larvae of Morpho peleides butterflies are occasional cannibals. The caterpillar Blue Morpho butterfly is red-brown with patches of bright green.
The Morpho peleides butterflies stick together in groups to deter their predators, a form of mobbing behavior." - Wikipedia

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