🦋 Morpho achilles

Common Name: Blue-Banded Morpho

Region: Peru & Northern South America

Appearance: Striking black forewings adorned with vertical electric-blue bands. Hindwings are olive-brown underneath, decorated with iridescent ocelli (eye spots) featuring blue, yellow, and red rings.

Size: Wingspan 90–110 mm

Habitat: Tropical rainforests of Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Brazil

Behavior: Strong, gliding flight—often flashes between tree trunks near the canopy

Feeding: Adults sip from rotting fruit, sap, and fermenting juice on the forest floor

Taxonomy: Family Nymphalidae | Genus Morpho

Subspecies:
• M. achilles agamedes – Peru
• M. achilles patroclus – Colombia

Defense Mechanism: Bright uppersides distract predators; dull undersides blend into surroundings