Sunset Morpho vs Japanese Swallowtail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Sunset Morpho	Japanese Swallowtail
Scientific Name	Morpho hecuba	Papilio xuthus
Order	Lepidoptera	Lepidoptera
Family	Nymphalidae	Papilionidae
Size	150-200 mm wingspan	Wingspan 70-90 mm
Habitat	Forests	Gardens
Diet	Fungus Feeders	Nectar Feeders
Regions	South America	Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern

Sunset Morpho

The largest species in the morpho butterfly genus, with brownish-orange wings rather than the typical blue. Found in lowland South American rainforests.

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Did You Know?

Unlike its famous blue relatives, the sunset morpho is brown and orange — its underside has striking owl-like eyespots that make it look like a much larger animal when resting.

Japanese Swallowtail

A common Asian swallowtail with pale yellow wings striped with black tiger-like bands. It is one of the most frequently seen butterflies in Japanese gardens.

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Did You Know?

Its caterpillars have a forked osmeterium that emits a foul smell to deter birds and wasps.