Animal Directory Featured species in the planned Butterfly Garden habitat
Blue Morpho
Morpho peleides
LC
Fun facts
- Wings span up to 20 cm — among the largest butterflies in the Americas — and flash an iridescent electric blue in flight.
- The blue isn't pigment but structural colour: microscopic scales on the wing diffract light, so the colour shifts with viewing angle.
- Undersides are camouflaged brown with eye spots; resting morphos appear to vanish, then explode into blue when they open their wings.
- Adults don't drink nectar — they feed on rotting fruit, tree sap, and even fungi, which are staged in the garden's fruit-feeding station.
- Caterpillars are gregarious and emit a pungent garlic-like odour from a gland on the thorax to deter predators.
From the master plan
The Blue Morpho is the showstopper of the domed conservatory — the species most likely to land on a guest’s shoulder in the Butterfly Garden’s central flight space. The garden’s fruit-feeding station is built around the morpho’s diet, allowing close, sustained viewing rather than fleeting nectar visits.
IUCN Red List does not currently list Morpho peleides at species level — regional and national assessments treat it as common and not of concern. We use LC as the conservative default.
Find them in
Zone 13
Butterfly Garden
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