Native to the rainforests of Mexico, Central America and South America, this bright blue butterfly has a short but stunning life. It is thought that the colour helps the males to mark their territories, and acts as a defence against predators.

Where do morphos live?

Blue morphos live in the tropical forests of Latin America from Mexico to Colombia. Adults spend most of their time on the forest floor and in the lower shrubs and trees of the understory with their wings folded. However, when looking for mates, the blue morpho will fly through all layers of the forest.

Are blue morpho butterflies rare?

In fact, the blue morpho uses structural color to get its particular shade of blue. Blue is actually an extremely rare color in nature. These butterflies have scales that overlap, refracting light similar to a prism.