Morpho theseus, the Theseus morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly. It is found in Panama, Costa Rica, Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Ecuador, Venezuela, Honduras and Guatemala.
Description In 1913, Hans Fruhstorfer wrote: "Morpho theseus apparently replaces hercules in Central America and the Andean region. It is less constant than hercules, inclining to geographical and probably also to climatic variation, has somewhat narrower wings than hercules and is distinguished from all other Morphids by the long, pointed teeth of the hindwing."Fruhstorfer, H., 1913. Family: Morphidae. In A. Seitz (editor),Macrolepidoptera of the world, vol. 5: 333–356. Stuttgart: Alfred Kernen. Note: Morpho amphitryon, which was considered a race of Morpho theseus by Fruhstorfer, also has the "pointed teeth" or scalloping.
Ground colour brown inclining to olive green, base only quite faintly suffused with whitish. Cell black brown at the extremity and with an inconspicuous whitish spot before the apex. Forewing with only two distinct rows of yellowish patches. Subspecies Many subspecies have been described including Morpho theseus theseus Columbia Morpho theseus aquarius Butler, 1872 Butler, A.G. , 1872 Descriptions of new Butterflies from Costa Rica Cistula ent. 1 : 72-90 Butler, 1872 Costa Rica and Columbia. Morpho theseus juturna Butler, 1870 Butler, A. G. 1870 Cistula ent 1870 :128 Columbia, Ecuador and northern Peru Morpho theseus justitiae Salvin & Godman, 1868 Salvin, O. & Godman, F. DuCane 1868 On some new species of diurnal Lepidoptera from South America Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (4) 2 (8) : 141-152 Costa Rica, Honduras and Guatemala Morpho theseus oaxacensis Le Moult & Réal, 1962 Le Moult, E. and Real, P. Les morpho d'Amérique du Sud et Centrale 2 vol. (including Supplement), 92 plates (20 colour), illustrations,Paris, Éditions du Cabinet Entomologique, 1962-1963 Mexico Morpho theseus pacificus Krüger, 1925 Kruger, E. 1925. Die Morphiden Kolumbiens nebst einigen allgemeinen Bemerkungen uber Morphiden. Deutsche entomologische Zeitschrift “Iris”, 38: 223-268. Columbia and Ecuador Morpho theseus perlmani Neild, A. F. E., 2001 A new Venezuelan subspecies of Morpho theseus Deyrolle, 1860, with notes on the nomenclature, systematics, and type specimens of the species. Lambillionea. Volume 101, Issue 3, pages 431–45 Venezuela Morpho theseus schweizeri (Maza, 1987) Maza Elvira, Roberto de la and Maza Elvira, Javier de la, 2023 Los Morpho Fabricius, 1807 in the sugenus Iphimedeia Fruhstorfer, 1912 in mexico (Nymphalidae-Satyrinae -Morohinae) Sociedad Mexicana de Lepidoerología, Publicaciones Especiales, No. 6, 2023 Mexico. Morpho theseus triangulifera Le Moult & Réal, 1962 Le Moult, E. and Real, P. op.cit. Ecuador Morpho theseus yaritanus Fruhstorfer, 1913 Frustorfer, H. 1913 op cit. Venezuela
Etymology Theseus was a legendary king of Athens.
Gallery
Related Species (Species Group)
Morpho telemachus
References
Le Moult (E.) & Réal (P.), 1962–1963. Les Morpho d'Amérique du Sud et Centrale, Editions du cabinet entomologique E. Le Moult, Paris.
External links "Morpho Fabricius, 1807" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms Butterflies of America Images of type and other specimens. NSG Photographs of voucher specimen. Mariposa Mexicanas Photographs of subspecies oaxacensis Taxonomy Browser Upperside and underside photographs.