"BLUE MORPHO BUTTERLY"

Gary went to Venezuela in 1992 on a trip sponsored by Living Earth. In 1993 he went back on his own account because he enjoyed the first trip so much. A number of his prints have resulted from those trips - Blue Morpho Butterfly, Green Iguana, Owl Butterfly, Reflection, Young Caiman and the three Tree Frog pictures.

Although not released as a print until November 1999, Blue Morpho Butterfly was drawn whilst Gary was actually in Venezuela on his first trip in 1992. These trips are the only occasions that he has completed drawings whilst away. Apart from the subjects just mentioned, he completed a number of other pictures in Venezuela, some being sold at an exhibition in aid of Living Earth at the Natural History Museum in Caracas in 1992.

To the date of the print's release, it is the smallest sized print issue at 450. The original drawing was another of those for sale at the Mall Galleries solo exhibition in 1994 (for the benefit of EIA and Born Free), the asking price being £550.

The Blue Morpho butterfly, which feeds on the juices of fallen fruit, is within a sub-family of butterflies (Morphinae) which includes around 70 species that are referred to as the morphs. It is widespread in the South American rainforests from Venezuela to Brazil particularly; the morphs generally being widespread in Central and South America and in the West Indies. The morph species include some of the largest in that part of the world.

The upper surface of the Blue Morpho butterfly, like a number of morphs, is coloured a vivid metallic blue. There are microscopic ridges on the wing scales that break up and reflect the light, producing an iridescent blue colouring. This does not apply to all morph species and, where it does, usually applies to the male only. The upper wing surface of the female Blue Morpho butterfly also shows a significant amount of blue but not over the total wing area as is seen in the male. One source referred to records Morpho as meaning beautiful or shapely.