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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 ~40%
27 Verified sightings at San José
1,103 In all 37 parks From 2019 to 2026
January 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 San José
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 San José
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Common Morpho in San José?
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Common Morpho sighting in San José on a given day, based on 27 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 55th most-seen of the 239 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 40%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Common Morpho in San José?
January
In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Common Morpho in San José on a given day, against under 5% in August, the lowest month. That is one of San José's driest months, with about 40 mm of rain against 300 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 San José the best place to see a Common Morpho?
Among the best
Of the 9 cities where we can rate Common Morpho sightings, San José ranks 2nd at about 10%, level with the leaders once rounded. The best odds are in Santos (Brazil, about 10%).
Which relatives of the Common Morpho live in San José?
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Common Morpho that you can see in San José (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Monarch (about 30%), Banded Peacock (about 30%) and Rusty-Tipped Page (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 San José (27 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.
