Common Morpho

Common Morpho

Morpho helenor

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Bastimentos Island National Marine Park

In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%

11 Verified sightings at Bastimentos Island National Marine Park From 2019 to 2026
1,103 In all 37 parks
June Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted

About the Common Morpho

Morpho helenor, also known as the Helenor blue morpho or common blue morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly found throughout Central and South America from Mexico to Argentina. It is a species group that may or may not be several species. Many subspecies have been described.

The larvae of subspecies Morpho helenor achillaena have been recorded as feeding on Genipa americana, Inga, Machaerium, Platymiscium, Wisteria, Trifolium, Arachis and Robinia. Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Rincón de la Vieja National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~50%
2 Pico Bonito National Park 🇭🇳 Honduras
~40%
3 Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
4 Cahuita National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
5 Tenorio Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~30%
6 Iguazú National Park 🇦🇷 Argentina
~30%
7 Tayrona National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~30%
8 Serra da Canastra National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%
9 Iguaçu National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~30%
10 Calakmul Biosphere Reserve 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
11 Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
12 Lago de Yojoa 🇭🇳 Honduras
~20%
13 Cabo Blanco Absolute Nature Reserve 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
14 Tortuguero National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
15 Corcovado National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
16 Braulio Carrillo National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
17 Arenal Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
18 Poás Volcano National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
19 Serra dos Órgãos National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~20%
20 Chagres National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
21 Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~20%
22 Marino Ballena National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~20%
23 Soberanía National Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~20%
24 Yasuní National Park 🇪🇨 Ecuador
~20%
25 Bastimentos Island National Marine Park 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
26 Manuel Antonio National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
27 Carara National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
28 La Amistad International Park (Panama) 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
29 Itatiaia National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
30 Cañón del Sumidero National Park 🇲🇽 Mexico
~10%
31 Farallones de Cali National Natural Park 🇨🇴 Colombia
~10%
32 Tapantí-Macizo de la Muerte National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
33 Piedras Blancas National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
34 Chirripó National Park 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
35 Manu National Park 🇵🇪 Peru
~10%
36 Parque Natural Metropolitano 🇵🇦 Panama
~10%
37 Tijuca National Park 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Santos 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
2 San José 🇨🇷 Costa Rica
~10%
3 Caracas 🇻🇪 Venezuela
~10%
4 San Salvador 🇸🇻 El Salvador
~10%
5 Rio de Janeiro 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
6 São Paulo 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
7 Campinas 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
8 Belo Horizonte 🇧🇷 Brazil
~10%
9 Medellín 🇨🇴 Colombia
<5%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Common Morpho in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Morpho sighting in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park on a given day, based on 11 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 22nd most-seen of the 52 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 40%, and over a week to about 70%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Common Morpho in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park?

June

In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Morpho in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park on a given day, against under 5% in April, July–August, October and December, the lowest months.

What time of day is best to see a Common Morpho?

Between 10 am and 1 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Common Morpho sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.

Which relatives of the Common Morpho live in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park?

Same family: Nymphalidae

The closest relatives of the Common Morpho that you can see in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Banded Peacock (about 40%), White Peacock (about 30%) and Malachite (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.

Where does the Common Morpho sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Common Morpho is recorded against all the insects logged in Bastimentos Island National Marine Park (11 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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