Head to head
Ulysses Butterfly vs Blue Morpho Butterfly
Ulysses Butterfly
VS Blue Morpho Butterfly
The Ulysses butterfly and blue morpho are the two most famous blue butterflies of tropical rainforests, one in Australasia and the other in the Americas, and both owe their colour to wing structure.
| Ulysses Butterfly | Blue Morpho Butterfly | |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Papilio ulysses | Morpho peleides |
| Group | A large swallowtail | A morpho butterfly |
| Blue colour | Brilliant blue upper wings edged with black, a colour produced by the structure of the wing scales | Brilliant blue produced by microscopic scale structures that scatter light, not by any blue pigment |
| Underside | Brown, bark-coloured undersides that make it hard to see with its wings closed | A dull brown underside with eyespots that camouflages it when the wings are closed |
| In flight | Flashes in and out of view as the blue disappears each time the wings fold | The vivid blue appears and disappears as the wings open and close |
| Adult diet | Nectar from flowers | Mainly fermenting fruit juice, tree sap, and fungi |
| Range | Tropical rainforest in northeastern Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands | Tropical rainforest from Mexico through Central America into South America |
| Conservation status | Not Evaluated, though common in suitable rainforest | Least Concern, with a stable population |
Ulysses Butterfly vs Blue Morpho Butterfly: common questions
Which blue butterfly is a swallowtail?
The Ulysses butterfly, a large swallowtail in the genus Papilio.
Is the blue colour pigment?
No, in both butterflies it is a structural colour produced by the microscopic structure of the wing scales.
Where do the Ulysses butterfly and blue morpho live?
The Ulysses butterfly lives in northeastern Australia, New Guinea, and nearby islands, while the blue morpho lives in Central and South America.