Morpho hercules, the Hercules morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly found in Brazil and Paraguay.
Description The upper surface is grey green. The forewing has two rows of submarginal yellow dots, of which the proximal are considerably broader than the antemarginal. The patch before the apex of the cell is narrow, dark green, and subobsolete. The cell is black green. The discal area is glossy dark green. The distal border is broad, and deep black. The base of the forewing is dark, and the base of the hindwing is a somewhat lighter sea green.
The under surface of the forewing has two very large rounded ocelli between the medians, and two much smaller ones between the upper radial and the upper median. The proximal median spots are narrow, and irregular. The discal spot is black. The cell has two very broad white longitudinal bands, which are posteriorly confluent. The hindwing is predominantly red brown, with a silver-white median band about 3 mm in breadth. There are three anal ocelli with black irises.
Subspecies and forms Morpho hercules diadema Fruhstorfer, 1905 Morpho hercules itatiaya Weber, 1944 Morpho hercules viridus Weber, 1944 Morpho hercules f. irideus Zikán, 1935 Morpho hercules f. violina Rousseau-Decelle, 1935 Morpho hercules virida f. subtusdealbata Le Moult & Réal, 1962
Biology The larva feeds on Menispermaceae (Abuta selloana) and Musaceae.
Etymology It is named for the mythological hero Hercules.
Related Species (Species Group)
Morpho amphitryon Morpho richardus
Gallery
References
Le Moult (E.) & Réal (P.), 1962-1963. Les Morpho d'Amérique du Sud et Centrale, Editions du cabinet entomologique E. Le Moult, Paris. 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.3 underside (Brazil)
External links "Morpho Fabricius, 1807" at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms with taxonomy and subspecies Butterflies of America Images of type and other specimens.