The Blue Morpho butterfly, a striking insect found in the rainforests of Central and South America, captivates observers with its iridescent blue wings. These large butterflies, with wingspans ranging from 5 to 8 inches, live within the humid forest. Their diet changes significantly across life stages, adapting to different nutritional needs. This article explores their distinct feeding habits, from larval caterpillars to adult butterflies.
What Adult Blue Morpho Butterflies Eat
Adult Blue Morpho butterflies primarily consume liquids from decaying organic matter, unlike many other butterfly species that feed on flower nectar. Their diet largely consists of juices from fermenting and rotting fruits found on the forest floor. They also obtain sustenance from tree sap, fungi, and occasionally fluids of decomposing animals. These sources provide sugars and other nutrients for energy and reproduction.
This preference means adult Blue Morphos are often found in the lower forest strata, where such decaying matter is abundant. They are attracted to overripe bananas, mangoes, and other soft fruits in controlled environments. These liquid foods support their relatively short adult lifespan, which can be around 115 days.
What Blue Morpho Caterpillars Eat
Blue Morpho caterpillars have a distinctly different diet from adults. As herbivores, they consume plant leaves to fuel their growth and metamorphosis. They primarily feed on various species within the pea family (Fabaceae), including vines and legumes.
Specific host plants include Erythrina, Mucuna, and Pterocarpus species. Other documented host plants are Wisteria, Arachis (peanut plant), Trifolium (clover), and Medicago sativa (alfalfa). Caterpillars are voracious eaters, consuming leaves to fuel their transformation into adult butterflies.
How Blue Morphos Access Food
The feeding mechanisms of Blue Morpho butterflies vary significantly between their larval and adult stages, reflecting their differing diets. Adult butterflies possess a specialized mouthpart called a proboscis, a long, tube-like structure. This proboscis unrolls to sip liquids from food sources, functioning much like a drinking straw. They cannot chew solid food, relying entirely on this sipping mechanism.
Blue Morphos also use sensory organs on their legs to taste food, and their antennae help them detect scents, guiding them towards suitable decaying matter. In contrast, Blue Morpho caterpillars are equipped with strong mandibles, or jaw-like mouthparts, designed for chewing. These mandibles enable them to consume the tough plant leaves that constitute their diet.