MORPHID^. By H. Frithstorfer. 333 



6. Family: Morphidae Westiv. 



This small family embraces the most strikingly characteristic butterflies of South America and the 

 most magnificent of the Lepidoptera, which show the butterfly type in a perfection that is only surpassed by 

 theJndo-'SLalayaiiOrnifJioptera. The brilliant colouring of the upper surface and the elegant ocelli which nearly 

 always adorn the mider make the Jloyphidae superficially a verj^ distinct, easily recognized group. It is not very 

 easy, howeTer, to separate them morphologically, for in spite of the external differences there are only indefi- 

 nite structviral distinctions from the Brassolids, Satyrids and Nymphalids and they form rather a transition from 

 the Satyrids to the Xymphahds, so that they can only with difficulty be maintained as a separate family. Also 

 from the Indian Amathusiids, which were formerly united with them, they only differ essentially in their habits 

 and the food-plants of the larvae. All the Morphids agree in the weakly developed thorax, short abdomen, and 

 in an extraordinarily powerful fhght, which latter at once separates them from the sluggish Satyrids, Amathu- 

 siids and Brassohds.' They share with the Nymphahds the habit of flying in the brightest sunshine, and 

 structurally the open cell of the hindwing. With the Indian Amathusiids the Morpliids are indeed somewhat 

 aUied in having larvae of the same shape, but chffer again in the food, as the larva of the Amathusiids feeds on 

 Monocotyledons, that of the Morpliids, as far as is known, exclusively on Dicotyledons. From the bulk of the 

 Amathusiids their Neotropical relatives differ in having two subcostal veins arising before the end of the 

 cell on the forewing, a form of neuration wliich is only found again quite exceptionally in the Taenarid genus 

 Hyxntis. In the clasping-organs, however, the Morpliids are highly specialized, and although the general arrange- 

 ment of the tegumen suggests the Satyrids and Brassolids, those of Morpho differ in the extremely massive, 

 unshapely uncus and valve. In some species (Morpho hercules) the breadth of the uncus actually exceeds 

 that of the valve in the other families and is not ecj[ualled even in the Nymphalids. The robust uncus only 

 recurs in the Brassohds (Dynastor dariiis) and even here considerably less extreme; the valve finds an ana- 

 logy in the Papihoiiids (Ornitlioptera) and in Hestia. The amorphous lateral clasps of the uncus, however, are 

 entirely without a parallel. In the neuration may further be mentioned the fairly similar course of the disco- 

 eellulars and their nearlj' uniform length. In the nearly straight middle and lower discocellulars the Morphids 

 and Brassohds contrast with the Amathusiids, in which the lower discocellular is as a rule concave and deeply 

 retracted proximally. The precostal cell of the hindwing may be distinctly developed [Morpho inenelaus) 

 or absent (J/, catenarius), in the former case providing a further hnk with the Brassolids, in the latter 

 with the Amathusuds. The median spur of the forewing also, on which Dr. Schatz lays special stress, is 

 variable: either robust, short and pointed or fihform and distally curved, as is found also in the Amathusiids. 

 The size of the cell of the forewing varies in the different groups of species ; it is large in the menelaiis, smaller 

 in the hecuba-hercules group. Godman and Salvin in 1881 recognized two subdivisions according to the shape 

 of the hindwing: a) with tailed (hecuba group) and b) with rounded hindwing (cypris group). Between the 

 two stand the members of the aega group with elongate, narrow hindwing. Dr. Schatz divided the species into 

 six subdivisions, according to the scheme of colouring. The coloration of the 40 or so known species is 

 indeed unusually variable and may be pure white or brilliant blue ; between these come the members of the hercules- 

 hecuba group with all gradations from hght yellow to dark green and a dull chalky blue. The degree of 

 sexual dimorphism is quite as variable as the colouring; species occur with the sexes almost alike (Laertes, 

 hecuba, hercules), whiLst the rhetenor-cypris group shows astonishing contrasts in colour. It is worthy of note 

 that just those ^^ which have the brilhant Morpho colouring (cypris, rhetenor) consort with almost ugly clay- 

 yellow or dull ochreous $$, which still tend to retain the colour of the Brassolids, from which the Morphids 

 have probably developed. In a few species, however, transitions also occur. 



The brilhant gloss of the ^(^ is solely a physical phenomenon and is not due to any blue pigmentation 

 in the scales, but to interference of the rays of light which pass through the infinitely thin layers of the scales. 

 The scales themselves are simple yellowish to brownish, or opaque milk-white, extremely resistant in the chlo- 

 ride bath. The eyes of all the Morphids are naked, the antennae deUcate, gradually terminating in a weak 

 club. Apart from a friction-area at the basal part of the inner margin of the forewing no secondary sexual 

 characters are present. One species is said to smell strongly of sulphur. 



The egg of the Morphids is very large, in some species (menelaus) up to 2 mm. in chameter, hemisphe- 

 rical, not shiny, grey- white and but httle transparent. In the species of the achilles group it has a narrow 

 red-brown horizontal ring, in one species (peleides) the surface is rough (Fassl). 



