Trinidad Morpho Butterfly vs Palamedes Swallowtail

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Trinidad Morpho Butterfly Palamedes Swallowtail
Scientific Name Morpho achilles trinidadensis Papilio palamedes
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Nymphalidae Papilionidae
Size 95-110 mm wingspan 100-130 mm wingspan
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Sap Feeders Omnivores
Regions Trinidad Southeastern United States coastal plain
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern; threatened by laurel wilt disease k

Trinidad Morpho Butterfly

A subspecies of morpho butterfly found in Trinidad with bright blue iridescent wings. It flies in forest clearings and along rivers.

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Did You Know?

Its blue color is structural, produced by nanoscale ridges on the wing scales rather than pigment.

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.