Blue Morpho

Morpho peleides

About This Animal

SIZE: 5-8 inch wingspan

RANGE: Columbia and Venezuela to Mexico

HABITAT: Tropical forest

DIET: Juice from rotting fruit

ON EXHIBIT:  The Butterfly Garden in Ocean Journey

The blue color comes from light reflecting off the overlapping scales on the butterfly wings.  The brown underside helps camouflage the butterfly as it eats rotting fruit on the forest floor.

Attracting butterflies to your yard can be very rewarding! To attract butterflies, you must provide flowers that have nectar and host plants for them to lay their eggs on. Native plants that contain nectar include phlox, azaleas, thistles, fruit trees, zinnias, ironweed, goldenrod, coneflower, buttonbush, asters, blazing star, red clover, monarda and jewelweed. At the nursery you can buy: petunias, verbena, lilac, phlox, cosmos, lantana, butterfly bush (buddlea), morning glories and gaillardia.