Narrative

Morpho catenarius group (Subgenus Pessonia, five species) contains a series of white and pale blue species with a slight pattern. In this group, the males and larger females are somewhat similar. The species are:

SPECIES - - - - LOCATION
Morpho polyphemus - Mexico and Central America
Morpho luna - West Mexico and south
Morpho laertes - East Brazil
Morpho catenarius - Southeast Brazil
Morpho titei - North Argentina and Paraguay

Per the Gerardo Lamas list of 2004, the following changes have been made to the taxonomy of this group of Morphos:

Morpho luna has been reduced to a subspecies of Morpho polyphemus. There are now three subspecies for Morpho polyphemus: Morpho polyphemus polyphemus (Mexico), Morpho polyphemus catalina (Costa Rica), Morpho polyphemus luna (Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras).

Morpho catenarius has been renamed to Morpho epistrophus. There are four subspecies: Morpho epistrophus (comprising Morpho laertes), Morpho epistrophus argentinus (SE Brazil), Morpho epistrphus catenaria (Brazil), and Morpho titei (Paraguay).

* * * * * (Mexico has dry high altitude temperate highlands through its center, and low elevation tropical areas near each coast. There are types of both Morpho polyphemus and Morpho luna coming from each coastal area. One can accept that one subspecies would be on one coast, and another subspecies on another coast. However, when both lifeforms occur somewhat near both coasts, it would seem that logic might indicate that two different species are involved. (luna: Veracruz and Oaxaca, polyphemus: Guerrero and Hidalgo). However, perhaps the lower elevations in southern Mexico might offer an explanation.)

Taxonomy

References