Blog 3

  https://megsbaaportfolio.blogspot.com

Natural History Museum Portfolio Project 

The Blue Morpho- Morpho menelaus (Ecuador)




- Authors own picture sourced from Natural History Museum, Oxford. 

These butterflies typically are found within South America and in the Amazon rainforest. These beautiful creatures are at threat from factors such as deforestation and habitat fragmentation, which can come from roads being implemented which breaks up the natural areas.  (Lewis. R, 2016)

Is this butterfly really the blue colour we can see? 

To our eyes, we can see a beautiful shade of aquamarine blue but is this really the case? The answer is no, this butterfly is actually producing something known as structural colour. What this means is that it the colour we are seeing is not actually the colour of the butterfly but rather a structure that reflects wavelengths of light, which allows us to see the blue wings. This is because in nature, blue is a very rare colour to come across. These butterflies have scales that overlap, refracting light similar to that of a prism. So when the light hits the wings, it is refracted against the wings and comes off as blue. (A. Robles, March 2019)

For the information found in this blog, this YouTube video produced by 'Deep Look' allows for a visual understanding of how these butterflies produce this colour:

https://youtu.be/29Ts7CsJDpg?si=0BCQWb114Zxxo4tJ

This image highlights the intricate scales on the wings of the butterfly (Deep Look, December 2014)







Information from Natural History Museum- Oxford 



These butterflies are one of the largest in the world, with its wingspan measuring around 20cm, but they do not live for very long. Their life span is only around 2-3 weeks as a butterfly. In many cultures, these butterflies hold a lot of meaning. Their eye-captivating colour has meant that many people hold the belief that they have symbolic meanings, such as their wishes being granted or them representing a spiritual transformation. (A. Robles, March 2019)


Bibliography:

Lewis R (September 2016) Top 8 Blue Morpho Butterfly Facts- Rainforest cruises. https://www.rainforestcruises.com/guides/top-8-blue-morpho-butterfly-facts#:~:text=They%20can%20be%20found%20throughout,8%20Blue%20Morpho%20Butterfly%20facts%E2%80%A6.

Deep Look (December 2014) What Gives the Morpho Butterfly Its Magnificent Blue? https://youtu.be/29Ts7CsJDpg?si=0BCQWb114Zxxo4tJ


Andre Robles (March 2019) 8 Mind Blowing Facts to Know About the Morpho Butterly- Voyagers Travel Specialists. https://amazoncruise.net/8-mind-blowing-facts-to-know-about-the-morpho-butterfly/














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