Morpho lympharis, the Lympharis morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly found in Peru and Bolivia.
| Lympharis morpho | |
|---|---|
| |
| From Chanchamayo Province, Peru | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Morpho |
| Species: | M. lympharis
|
| Binomial name | |
| Morpho lympharis (Butler, 1873)
| |
Description edit
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 edit
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 edit
Morpho sulkowskyi and Morpho lympharis uniquely occupy Tropical Andes cloud forests, at altitudes between 1500 and 3500 m.
References edit
- ^ 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.
External links edit
- "Morpho Fabricius, 1807" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms showing taxonomy and subspecies
- Butterflies of America Images of type and other specimens.
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