#MindblownLA
Mobs of Blue Morphos
Discover why blue morphos blow Forest Urban's mind.
Party in the front, Camo in the back
As the manager of live invertebrates at the NHM, Forest has seen a lot of beautiful bugs and butterflies, but there's something special about the blue morphos gracing this year's Butterfly Pavilion. Their striking blue wings showcase a spectacular survival strategy called "flash and dazzle". The vivid blue on the top (dorsal) side of the wings contrasts with the more earth-toned bottom (ventral) sides. Flapping these high-contrast wings allow the morphos to startle any potential predators with a sudden burst of color before blending back into the forest of their native habitats. It's especially stunning given their wings' size: about the same surface area as Forest's head.
From their flash and dazzle survival adaptations to their incredible size, check out this video to learn all about these incredible butterflies. These gorgeous creatures are just one of the tropical butterflies on view this season, so watch this space for more mind blowing facts about these amazing animals.
