Like the tropical orchids of South America, morpho butterflies have awed North American and European crowds for centuries and continue to be wonderful ambassadors for the rainforest ecosystem.
Early Fascination for Morphos
Humans have lived alongside morphos in the rainforest long before European exploration of the area began. But it wasn’t until 1807 that Johan Christian Fabricius, a Danish Zoologist and student of Carl Linneaus, scientifically described the genus Morpho.
Even before Fabricius, the morpho butterfly’s large size, active nature, and spectacular colors caught the eye of Europeans exploring the area. Maria Sibylla Merian captured the beauty of tropical insects like the morpho in her 1730 book, Metamorphosis insectorum Surinamensium.
The popularity and allure of morphos continues to this day, though witnessing their beauty has become much more accessible for those outside the rainforest. Each winter, the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House highlights these mesmerizing butterflies inside its Tropical Conservatory.
2026 Morpho Mania
Witness the beauty and wonder of over 1,000 free-flying blue morpho butterflies from March 1–March 31.
Beyond the Blues: How Morphos Get Their Color
The blue morpho (Morpho peleides) is the most familiar species, but the Morpho genus produces butterflies of many colors, including orange and white.
Did you know? There are 39 species of Morpho butterflies.
What you may find even more surprising is that the common blue morpho isn’t actually blue. Their wings have a reddish-brown pigment, but the microscopic scales on their wings use tricks of physics to bend and separate the wavelengths of light, so our eyes only see blue reflected.
The blue on the morpho’s wings likely helps it evade predators like birds. When a bird tracks a butterfly in flight, the flashing blue of its wings may blend in and out of the background of the sky, confusing the birds and acting as camouflage against the blue sky.
Natives of the Rainforest
In the wild, Morphos live in the rainforests of Central and South America.
While they can be found at altitudes between sea level and 4,600 feet, Morphos spend most of their time near the forest floor, where the brown color of their closed wings helps them hide from predators.
Unlike many butterflies, morphos never visit flowers for food. They feed on the juices from rotten fruit, tree sap, or other sugary things, but never from flowers.
While morphos are not pollinators, they do play a role in cycling nutrients throughout the rainforest.
Their unique feeding actions hasten the decomposition process on the forest floor. Morpho caterpillars feed on leaves, keep some plants in check, and cycle nutrients from the plants to the soil.
Both morpho caterpillars and adults are an important food source for birds and other predators.
Mimicking Morpho Habitats at the Butterfly House
At the Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, entomologists and horticulturists work together to recreate the rainforest habitat. Inside the Tropical Conservatory, temperatures and humidity are set to levels similar to those morphos would find in their native habitat.
Our entomologists also treat the morphos to fruit that mimics the rotting fruit they would find in the rainforest. You can often find a group of blue morphos gathered around trays of bananas, watermelons, and sometimes even beer, which isn’t harmful to the animals.
The horticulturists plant and care for tropical trees, shrubs, and flowers where the butterflies can seek shelter and roost at night. But plants are also selected with reproduction (or lack thereof) in mind.
Without specific plants in their habitat, the morphos won’t lay eggs, a requirement by the USDA for containing these tropical animals in their designated habitat of the conservatory.
Supporting Native Habitats and Conservation
Morpho butterflies are not listed as endangered as of March 2026, but this does not mean they are safe from threats.
With the vast number of species in the world, many insects never receive evaluation for endangered species status, and the rainforest habitat that morphos call home is under a very serious threat from human activities.
Morphos are also one of the most prized butterflies for collectors. The pressure put on the most brilliant species by people who want them for pinned displays adds more uncertainty to their long-term survival.
Tad Yankoski, Senior Entomologist at the Butterfly House, holds a delivery of Blue Morpho butterflies from Costa Rica. 
Blue Morpho chrysalids arrive in the hundreds before Morpho Mania season at the Butterfly House begins. 
Blue Morpho butterflies arrive as chrysalids and emerge in the Butterfly House’s entomology lab. All photos by Cassidy Moody.
Local habitat conservation and restoration are key to species survival. This is why the Butterfly House partners with the non-profit butterfly farm El Bosque Nuevo in Costa Rica to purchase butterflies for the St. Louis community to enjoy. By working with the butterfly farm, we are supporting rainforest restoration and habitat protection.
Jessika Eidson | Public Information Officer
Thanks to Chris Hartley, Manager of Living Collections, and Tad Yankoski, Senior Entomologist, for their expertise on this topic.
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