Morpho butterflies.

Borja Gómez
Full Member

Posts: 177

Morpho butterflies. Jan 23, 2013 18:05:06 GMT -8

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Post by Borja Gómez on Jan 23, 2013 18:05:06 GMT -8

Hello

Can someone give a hand with the id of these morphos? They come from Peru, Dto San Martin. I think there is a mixture af menelaus, didius and godarti, but not sure, and also there are females so this give me more confusion.

Regards

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pittendrighinsects Senior Member Posts: 279	Morpho butterflies. Feb 4, 2013 16:20:44 GMT -8 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by pittendrighinsects on Feb 4, 2013 16:20:44 GMT -8 the first three look like variations of didius Quintin

papilio28570
Nabokov

Posts: 559

Morpho butterflies. Feb 4, 2013 21:50:57 GMT -8

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Post by papilio28570 on Feb 4, 2013 21:50:57 GMT -8

They are all variants of Morpho menelaus, but I wonder about the locality data. It would be odd that several subspecies overlap the same region, but several forms of the same subspecies can be present.
www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/t/Morpho_menelaus_a.htm

#6 and #7 Morpho menelaus occidentalis TL San Martin
www.birdwing-butterflies.com/?id=specimens&detail=465
but note where #7 looks like form melacheilus
www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/ih/morpho1083_i.htm

#2 Looks spot on for M.m argentiferus TL peru
www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/ih/morpho0918_i.htm

M. m. godartii (form alexandra) is listed as TL Peru and there are variants of that form. Godarti has a very washed out looking blue and is quite noticeable when you spread the specimen(s)
www.butterfliesofamerica.com/L/t/Morpho_menelaus_godartii_a.htm

M. m. didius multiple forms and variants listed with TL of Peru

Good luck with the rest.
www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/nymphalidae/morphinae/morpho/index.html#menelaus

oliversch Full Member Posts: 95	Morpho butterflies. Feb 5, 2013 4:05:37 GMT -8 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by oliversch on Feb 5, 2013 4:05:37 GMT -8 Hello your Morphos No. 1 - 5 from Dept. San Martin, Peru are Morpho godartii julanthiscus. I think the last two Morphos (No. 6 and 7) are M. menelaus melacheilus or occidentalis from Dept. Loreto

Borja Gómez
Full Member

Posts: 177

Morpho butterflies. Feb 11, 2013 12:17:47 GMT -8

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Post by Borja Gómez on Feb 11, 2013 12:17:47 GMT -8

Hello

Thanks guys for your answers!

As they were sold, I'm not quite sure about the locality of each one, but I think they came from different localities, but also quite sure that they were all from San Martin. Some of the places are Juanjui, Naranjos and Moyobamba and I think Rioja too.

I made the identification like this :
-1 Morpho didius
-2 Morpho menelaus
-3 Morpho menelaus occidentalis
-4 Morpho godarti
-5 Morpho didius female
-6 Morpho menelaus pucallpensis
-7 Morpho menelaus pucallpensis female

I used species like godarti and didius, but in actual classification this are just subspecies of menelaus, right? I'm also quite sure that 5 and 7 were females (I relaxed them a bit to observe verso). Also number 4 presented a very ligh blue, so I think was godarti (or menelaus godarti properly said)

Regards

Last Edit: Feb 11, 2013 12:22:13 GMT -8 by Borja Gómez

lepidofrance
Darwin

Posts: 2,109

Morpho butterflies. Feb 11, 2013 15:16:29 GMT -8

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Post by lepidofrance on Feb 11, 2013 15:16:29 GMT -8

The up-to-date systematic of genus Morpho :

www.patrickblandin.com/fr/zooms/15-checklist-du-genre-morpho-fabricius-1807-

Sous-genre Grasseia Le Moult & Real, 1962

Morpho (Grasseia) menelaus Linnaeus, 1758
1. M. menelaus menelaus Linnaeus, 1758
2. M. menelaus coeruleus Perry, 1810
3. M. menelaus occidentalis C. Felder & R. Felder, 1862
4. M. menelaus terrestris Butler, 1866
5. M. menelaus melacheilus Staudinger, [1886]
6. M. menelaus mineiro Fruhstorfer, 1907
7. M. menelaus ornata Fruhstorfer, 1913
8. M. menelaus orinocensis Le Moult, 1925
9. M. menelaus verae Weber, 1951
10. M. menelaus kesselringi Fischer, 1962
11. M. menelaus eberti Fischer, 1962
12. M. menelaus offenbachi Bryk, 1953
13. M. menelaus zischkai Fischer, 1962
14. M. menelaus pucallpensis Blandin, 2007
15. M. menelaus lecromi Blandin, 2007
16. M. menelaus laurellae Neild, 2008
17. M. menelaus neildi Blandin, 2008

Morpho (Grasseia) godartii Guerin - Meneville, [1844]
1. M. godartii godartii Guerin - Meneville, [1844]
2. M. godartii alexandra Hewitson, 1863
3. M. godartii didius Hopffer, 1874
4. M. godartii assarpai Rober, 1903
5. M. godartii julanthiscus Fruhstorfer, 1907
6. M. godartii lachaumei Blandin, 2007
7. M. godartii tingomariensis Blandin, 2007
8. M. godartii titogilberti Blandin & Gareca, 2011

Last Edit: Feb 11, 2013 15:18:14 GMT -8 by lepidofrance

JMG

Borja Gómez
Full Member

Posts: 177

Morpho butterflies. Feb 11, 2013 16:11:40 GMT -8

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Post by Borja Gómez on Feb 11, 2013 16:11:40 GMT -8

Hello

Thanks for the link, it will be very useful for me! I thought that the page of butterflies of america had the latest classification, but I see my mistake. Also I will have to check the papers in the link about some species the next time that I need to identify morphos. Is that classification widely accepted by other experts in morpho butterflies?

Regards

Last Edit: Feb 11, 2013 16:12:25 GMT -8 by Borja Gómez

papilio28570 Nabokov Posts: 559	Morpho butterflies. Feb 11, 2013 16:53:45 GMT -8 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by papilio28570 on Feb 11, 2013 16:53:45 GMT -8 Seems that Morpho taxonomy is always morphing. ;D

Post by Borja Gómez on Jan 23, 2013 18:05:06 GMT -8

Post by pittendrighinsects on Feb 4, 2013 16:20:44 GMT -8

Post by papilio28570 on Feb 4, 2013 21:50:57 GMT -8

Post by oliversch on Feb 5, 2013 4:05:37 GMT -8

Post by Borja Gómez on Feb 11, 2013 12:17:47 GMT -8

Post by lepidofrance on Feb 11, 2013 15:16:29 GMT -8

Post by Borja Gómez on Feb 11, 2013 16:11:40 GMT -8

Post by papilio28570 on Feb 11, 2013 16:53:45 GMT -8