Sunset Morpho vs Palamedes Swallowtail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute	Sunset Morpho	Palamedes Swallowtail
Scientific Name	Morpho hecuba	Papilio palamedes
Order	Lepidoptera	Lepidoptera
Family	Nymphalidae	Papilionidae
Size	150-200 mm wingspan	100-130 mm wingspan
Habitat	Forests	Forests
Diet	Fungus Feeders	Omnivores
Regions	South America	Southeastern United States coastal plain
Conservation	Least Concern	Least Concern; threatened by laurel wilt disease k

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.

Palamedes Swallowtail

A large dark swallowtail of southern swamp forests with yellow bands and a distinctive yellow postmedial stripe on the hindwing underside. It has a slow, sailing flight through the forest understory.

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Did You Know?

The spread of laurel wilt fungus, which kills red bay trees, now threatens this butterfly across much of its range.