Morpho epistrophus
In 3 days ~40% in a week ~70%
Morpho laertes (formerly Morpho epistrophus), the white morpho or epistrophus white morpho, is a Neotropical butterfly found in Brazil, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina. The white morpho is native to the Atlantic Forest, where they are distributed throughout a landscape of multiple species.
In 1913, Hans Fruhstorfer wrote in Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde: Group Morpho F. (= Leonte Hbn.). Species with metallic gloss on the upper surface; upper discocellular short, middle strongly convex proximally, lower concave distally, in the obtuse angle directed towards the anterior median. Cell of the forewing considerably widened towards the apex. Uncus and its lateral clasps relatively slender, valve distally spined.
Morpho laertes is the best known of a small group of species that differ from all their allies by its chalky, milky, or silvery white ground-colour. M. laertes may be easily distinguished by the connected chain of narrow, oblong, ocellated median spots on the underside of the hindwing, which have mostly only indistinct white pupils and washed-out yellowish bordering. The bluish white colouring is brought out very well in the figure. The upper surface resembles... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | El Palmar National Park | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | Itatiaia National Park | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Buenos Aires | 🇦🇷 Argentina | |
| 2 | São Paulo | 🇧🇷 Brazil |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report an Epistrophus White Morpho sighting in Buenos Aires on a given day, based on 427 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 21st most-seen of the 558 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.
August and November–February
In those months about 20% of wildlife watchers report an Epistrophus White Morpho in Buenos Aires on a given day, against about 10% in March–July and September–October, the lowest months.
Between 11 am and 2 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Epistrophus White 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.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Epistrophus White Morpho sightings, Buenos Aires has the highest daily chance: about 10%. Next come São Paulo (Brazil, under 5%).
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Epistrophus White Morpho that you can see in Buenos Aires (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Gulf Fritillary (about 40%), Southern Monarch (about 30%) and Junonia lavinia (about 30%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Epistrophus White Morpho is recorded against all the insects logged in Buenos Aires (427 verified sightings), 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.
