©
Robert Siegel
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Blue Morpho
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Morpho
En route
Blue morpho
en route to Pueblito
Tayrona National Park
May 2, 2014
Showing its colors
Blue morpho
en route to Pueblito
Tayrona National Park
May 2, 2014
Butterfly's eyes
Structural color
Dorsal side of wing that gives this species its name
Eye spots
The ventral side of the wide is quite distinct with eye spots
These are reminescent of the related owl butterfly, also in the family Nymphalidae.
Translucence
Under the right lighting conditions the eyespots are apparent through the dorsal side.
Also in the right lighting conditions, even the dorsal wing looks brown,
which is a clue to the fact that the color is derived from structure rather than pigment.
Related photo pages
-
Owl butterfly
-
Alfalfa butterfly
-
Glasswing butterfly
-
White peacock butterfly
-
Spanish moth
-
Silkworms
-
Sphinx moths
-
California oak moth
-
Monarch butterflies
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modified: October 20, 2015
created: March 24, 2014 (from bluepansy.html)
contact: siegelr@stanford.edu
All pictures are protected by copyright. Do not use without permission.