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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 ~60% in a week ~90%
71 Verified sightings at Iguaçu National Park From 2019 to 2026
1,103 In all 37 parks
October Best month
☀️ Diurnal When it's spotted
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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 Iguaçu 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 Iguaçu National Park
Before you go
What are the chances of seeing a Common Morpho in Iguaçu National Park?
Possible
About 30% of wildlife watchers report a Common Morpho sighting in Iguaçu National Park on a given day, based on 71 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 29th most-seen of the 279 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 60%, and over a week to about 90%, if each day is a fresh chance.
When is the best time to see a Common Morpho in Iguaçu National Park?
October
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Common Morpho in Iguaçu National Park on a given day, against about 10% in July, the lowest month. That is one of Iguaçu National Park's wettest months, with about 240 mm of rain against 100 mm in August.
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 Iguaçu National Park the best place to see a Common Morpho?
9th of 37
Of the 37 parks where we can rate Common Morpho sightings, Iguaçu National Park ranks 9th at about 30%. 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 Iguaçu National Park?
Same family: Nymphalidae
The closest relatives of the Common Morpho that you can see in Iguaçu National Park (family Nymphalidae, Brush-footed Butterflies) are Agathina Emperor (about 70%), Hydaspes Eighty-Eight (about 50%) and Orange Mapwing (about 40%), 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 Iguaçu National Park (71 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.
