Pls help to ID

[Sky Blue]

found this photo shoot in years 2001, using the first generation 3MP "Sony P1" :bsmile:

Anyone can id?

http://butterfly.mingcolour.com/album/butterfly/1_1120390114.jpg

[Commander]

That's a Morpho butt. One of the South American large and iridescent butterflies. Was this shot at the Fragile Forest in the Zoo?

[Sky Blue]

solid lah :thumbsup: yes from the Zoo ;-)

[Commander]

Heh heh... not many flying around in the wild here in Singapore leh... :bsmile:

Can't ID the exact species though. If you check the Net, there're quite a number of species. The one that the Zoo imported was a bright blue above when it flies. Very big butterfly.

The Sony, with 3Mp delivers quite a high quality, even for a prosumer digicam at that time.

[Rustic]

Heh heh... not many flying around in the wild here in Singapore leh... :bsmile:

Can't ID the exact species though. If you check the Net, there're quite a number of species. The one that the Zoo imported was a bright blue above when it flies. Very big butterfly.

The Sony, with 3Mp delivers quite a high quality, even for a prosumer digicam at that time.

This species is probably the Common Morpho. I was checking on the others (from Peru / etc). But did not find any match. If Common Morpho, its origin maybe include Central America. :-)

http://www.rlephoto.com/troplep/Morpho_peleides004s.htm
Morpho peleides (Common Morpho)
From: Central and South America
Hosts: Macharium, Seemannii, Lonchocarpus.
This strikingly blue upperside is breath taking in flight. It eats fermenting fruits instead of nectaring flowers. It has a strong scent gland between it`s forelegs to deter predators. These two are breeding ofcourse!
Photo taken at
Magic Wings Butterfly House, Durham, NC

[Commander]

Thanks for trying, but we don't know enough about these butterflies to be so certain. I understand that there are over 80 species of Morpho (http://www.stembol.com/morphidae/morpho/family_morphidae.htm), and their undersides all look quite similar. So no point coming to the conclusion about what species this is. The only people who may be more certain would be the Zoo, as they will know what they've ordered.

Morpho peleides has a dark border to the blue wings. The one that the Zoo brought in is all blue with a very thin border. I know cos a few of us were helping in the Fragile Forest some years ago.

Anyway, like I said, we're not experts in the Morphidae family, and unless we have an expert around to help, it's good enough to know that this is a Morpho species. ;P