Emperor butterfly

Emperor Butterfly
Emperor Butterfly
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	Image gallery
Real-world info
	Name: Morpho menelaus; Family: Nymphalidae
Main appearances
	DnM DnM+ AC DnMe+ iQue; WW CF NL NH
Other appearances
	Film HHD aF PC
	Names in other languages モルフォチョウ; 大蓝闪蝶; Morpho bleu; Mariposa celeste; Farfalla morfo blu; Морфо менелай 몰포나비; 大藍閃蝶; Morpho bleu; Mariposa celeste; Himmelsfalter; Blauwe morpho

←

(8) Monarch butterfly

New Horizons bugs

Agrias butterfly (10)

→

New Horizons bugs
← (8) Monarch butterfly	→ Agrias butterfly (10)

"I caught an emperor butterfly! It's blue... it's royal!" —Wild World

The Emperor Butterfly (known as the Emperor prior to New Leaf) is an uncommon butterfly that is found around flowers in the summer months, late in the day. It is the only butterfly that can be found in the night. It is sold for 4,000 Bells in New Horizons, and 2,500 Bells in prior games.

Catch details

In Wild World

#6

"I caught an emperor butterfly! It's blue... it's royal!"

Description	Their wings are iridescent, like the back of a CD.
Time of year	Jul - Sep
Time of day	8 AM - 5 PM
Peak times	N/A
Location	Near flowers
Bug size	115 mm
Selling price	2,500 Bells
Furniture size

In City Folk

#6

"I caught an emperor butterfly! Such royal beauty!"

Description	Their wings appear to be blue on one side, but quite plain on the other.
Time of year	Jun – Sep
Time of day	7 PM – 8 AM
Peak times	N/A
Location	Flying near flowers
Bug size	115 mm
Rarity	Rare
Selling price	2,500 Bells
Furniture size

In New Leaf

#6

"I caught an emperor butterfly! Feeling blue, Your Majesty?"

Time of year	Jun - Sep All year (Tortimer Island)
Time of day	Mainland: 5 PM - 8 AM Tortimer Island: 7 PM - 8 AM
Peak times	N/A
Location	Flying near flowers (can be found on Tortimer Island)
Size	146 mm
Rarity	Rare
Selling price	2,500 Bells
Furniture size

In Pocket Camp

#5

Availability	Not currently available –
Location	Sunburst Island
Size	137.7 mm - 154.2 mm
Rarity	★★★
Selling price	3,000 Bells
Version added	Unknown
Villager gift data	Tier: Unknown Rewards: Unknown

In New Horizons

#9

"I caught an emperor butterfly! It's not your average monarch!"

Time of year	North: Dec – Mar; Jun – Sep South: Jun – Sep; Dec – Mar
Time of day	5 PM – 8 AM
Location	Flying near flowers
Weather	Any except rain
Spawn requirement	Catch 20 total bugs
Selling prices	Nook's Cranny: 4,000 Bells Flick: 6,000 Bells
Furniture size

Donating to the museum

As with all fish and bugs in the Animal Crossing series, the Emperor Butterfly can be donated to the museum by talking to Blathers, the curator. When donating, Blathers will say the following upon receiving the Emperor Butterfly:

In Wild World

"If you wish to keep an emperor butterfly as a specimen, remove the body. If you don't, oils from the expired body will leak out, changing the wing color. Blech, the very thought of those post-mortem oils..."

After donation, the Emperor can be found fluttering around the flowers in the first room of the insect exhibit.

In City Folk

"The emperor butterfly's beautiful blue markings make it a popular gift in certain parts of the world. Hoo, yes, wonderful gift... Such gift givers should have their heads examined, I should think..."

It can be found in the bottom terrace, flying near or resting on the flowers with any other butterflies.

In New Leaf

The Emperor Butterfly flying around the player in the Museum in Animal Crossing: New Leaf

Upon being donated, the butterfly can be found in the first room of the bug exhibit resting on flowers with the other butterflies. The exhibit has this to say about the Emperor Butterfly:

"Emperor butterflies are easily recognized because of their lovely, iridescent blue wings. Pigmentation isn't actually what causes the color, but rather the reflections on their wing scales. Since their wings shimmer when moving, noticing them is much easier when they are midflight."

In New Horizons

When the player donates an emperor butterfly, Blathers will say this about it before thanking the player for the donation:

"The emperor butterfly is called the jewel of the forest. But its vivid blue hue... Eww, let me tell you! The color does not come from a dye, but rather from light reflecting off translucent scales. Yes, butterfly wings are covered in tiny scales! SCALES! Butterflies? Bah! More like snakes of the sky!"

Gallery

For more images, view this subject's gallery.

Animal Crossing: Wild World
Animal Crossing: City Folk
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Animal Crossing: New Horizons

Real-world information

A real Emperor Butterfly

Morpho menelaus, more commonly known as the Blue Morpho, is an exotic butterfly that can be found in Central and South America. It feeds primarily on rotten fruit, but in the larval stage, frequently eats other larvae of the same species. The in-game name Emperor Butterfly, while not used to refer to its species, may originate from the species' family, "Nymphalidae, which is sometimes known as the Emperors.

Etymology

Morpho stems from the Greek word for form, and therefore means 'changed'. This may be a reflection of the species' iridescence, which has the quality of changing colors in the light. Menelaus was a legendary king of Sparta who married Helen of Troy.

Names in other languages

	モルフォチョウ morufo-chō	Morpho

	몰포나비 molponabi	Morpho

	大蓝闪蝶 dàlán shǎndié	Blue morpho

	大藍閃蝶 Unknown

	Морфо менелай Morfo menelay	Menelaus morfo

	Blauwe morpho	Blue morpho

	Himmelsfalter	Sky Butterfly

	Mariposa celeste	Literally, "Sky blue butterfly".

	Morpho bleu	Blue morpho

	Morfo blu Farfalla morfo blu (NH)	Blue Morpho