About Morpho menelaus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Menelaus blue morpho (Morpho menelaus) is one of thirty butterfly species belonging to the subfamily Morphinae. This butterfly has an approximate wingspan of 12 cm (4.7 in). The dorsal surfaces of both its forewings and hindwings are bright, iridescent blue with black edges, while its ventral wing surfaces are brown. The unique nanostructure of its iridescent wings makes them an active topic of research interest. Because of its distinctive blue coloration, Morpho menelaus is considered valuable to collectors, and it was widely hunted during the 20th century. Morpho menelaus is a neotropical butterfly native to Central and South America. Confirmed locations where it can be found include Mexico, Venezuela, and the Cerrado, a large tropical savanna in Brazil. Ancestors of Morpho menelaus may have been distributed across Andean regions. It is one of six Morpho species found in Costa Rica. The entire Morpho genus occurs in regions starting in Mexico and extending throughout South America, and it is not present in Chile. In Costa Rica, Morpho menelaus cannot survive in the country's northern Pacific area, as it cannot tolerate the dry conditions found there. This species requires old-growth forest habitats with distinct separation between understory and canopy layers (Murillo-Hiller & Canet, 2018).
