Great Mormon vs Sulkowsky's Morpho

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Great Mormon Sulkowsky's Morpho
Scientific Name Papilio memnon Morpho sulkowskyi
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Papilionidae Nymphalidae
Size Wingspan 120-150mm 90-110 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Forests
Diet Herbivores Sap Feeders
Regions Asia South America (Peru, Bolivia, Colombia)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Great Mormon

A large swallowtail butterfly where females come in multiple dramatically different forms mimicking various toxic butterfly species. Males are uniformly dark.

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Did You Know?

Females exist in over 20 different color forms each mimicking a different toxic butterfly species for protection.

Sulkowsky's Morpho

A high-altitude Morpho butterfly with translucent, pearly-white wings that display a subtle blue iridescence. Unlike most Morpho species, its wings are semi-transparent and appear to glow in sunlight. It frequents cloud forest clearings in the Andes.

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Did You Know?

Its translucent wings produce an unusual pearl-like sheen caused by a combination of structural coloration and very thin wing membranes.