SPECIES INFO
In 2004 Patrick Blandin divided Morpho deidamia deidamia into two subspecies. The new subspecies, Morpho deidamia annae, is found from Guyana west into Venezuela. This specimen, from Guyana belongs to the new subspecies annae.
We have included a female specimen from slightly up river from Georgetown in Linden, Guyana to provide an alternate specimen for study.When Le Moult and Real re-organized the Morphos in 1962 they did a wonderful job of reducing hundreds of Morpho types into a reduced number of species of perhaps 60-80. (The word "type" refers to a named specimen in a museum. The potential problems with types include different names for males and females and different names for the same life form, Also different names for seasonal forms can occur.)
In the Morpho deidamia-neoptolemus group, they included the following full species: Morpho deidamia, Morpho neoptolemus, Morpho brisseis, Moroho hermione, and Morpho electra. One important characteristic of their method was the width of the blue band on the dorsal side.
Recently, both Gerardo Lamas (2004) in his research and Patrick Blandin (2007) and his research have both reduced this deidamia group to a single species.
The location of Morpho lycanor and granadensis is not fully resolved. Since Blandin is the latest author, we note that his work creates 13 different named subspecies in his Morpho deidamia group. (excluding lycanor and granadensis) These blue banded butterflies show a very complex pattern on the ventral side that can include silver streaks.
Our opinion is that Mr. Blandin did a great work, and we recommend purchase of his Volume Part 3 entitled the "The Genus Morpho"
We have pictured 7 of these different subspecies.
We wonder if a few of these subspecies ultimately will receive full species status based on food plants, environmental conditions, and elevations.
Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
