Morpho - Life Cycle

Life Cycle

The entire life cycle of the Morpho butterfly, from egg to death, is approximately 115 days.

The larvae hatch from pale green, dewdrop-like eggs. The caterpillars have reddish-brown bodies with bright lime-green or yellow patches on its back. Its hairs are irritating to human skin, and when disturbed it secretes a fluid that smells like rancid butter. They feed on a variety of plants. The caterpillar will molt five times before entering the pupal stage. The chrysalis is jade-green and emits a repulsive, ultrasonic sound when touched.

The adults live for about two to three weeks. They feed on the fluids of fermenting fruit, decomposing animals, tree sap, fungi and nutrient rich mud. They are poisonous to predators thanks to toxins they sequestered from plants they fed on as caterpillars.

The commoner Blue Morphos are reared en masse in commercial breeding programs. The iridescent wings are used in the manufacture of jewelry and as inlay in woodworking. Papered specimens are sold with the abdomen removed to prevent its oily contents from staining the wings. Significant quantities of live specimens are exported as pupae from several neotropical countries for exhibition in butterfly houses. Unfortunately, due to their irregular flight pattern and size, their wings are frequently damaged when in captivity.