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Common Morpho
Morpho helenor
- KingdomAnimalia (Animals)
- PhylumArthropoda (Arthropods)
- ClassInsecta (Insects)
- OrderLepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- FamilyNymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies)
- GenusMorpho (Morphos)
- SpeciesMorpho helenor (Common Morpho)
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
5 Verified sightings at Chirripó National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,103 In all 37 parks
February Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
Completed
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 →
Recent sightings of Common Morpho in Chirripó National Park
LIVEiNaturalistGlobal Distribution
Parks Where Found
Cities Where Found
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Santos | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 2 | San José | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | |
| 3 | Caracas | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | |
| 4 | San Salvador | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | |
| 5 | Rio de Janeiro | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 6 | São Paulo | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 7 | Campinas | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 8 | Belo Horizonte | 🇧🇷 Brazil | |
| 9 | Medellín | 🇨🇴 Colombia |
Closest Relatives at Chirripó National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Common Morpho in Chirripó National Park?
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Morpho sighting in Chirripó National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 103rd most-seen of the 127 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Common Morpho in Chirripó National Park?
February
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Morpho in Chirripó National Park on a given day, against under 5% in April–May and July–December, the lowest months. That is one of Chirripó National Park's driest months, with about 75 mm of rain against 690 mm in October.
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.
Is Chirripó National Park the best place to see a Common Morpho?
34th of 37
Of the 37 parks where we can rate Common Morpho sightings, Chirripó National Park ranks 34th at about 10%. The best odds are in Rincón de la Vieja National Park (Costa Rica, about 50%), Pico Bonito National Park (Honduras, about 40%) and Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve (Costa Rica, about 30%). All parks ranked.
Which relatives of the Common Morpho live in Chirripó National Park?
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Common Morpho that you can see in Chirripó National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Drucina leonata (about 30%), Pansy Daggerwing (about 30%) and Widespread Eighty-Eight (about 30%), 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 Chirripó National Park (5 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.
