Emperor butterfly
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| Name:Morpho menelaus Family:Nymphalidae | ||||||||
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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 | ||||||||
Theemperor butterfly (known as theemperor prior toNew Leaf) is abug in theAnimal Crossing series. It first appeared inAnimal Crossing: Wild World and has appeared in all subsequent games. It is the only butterfly that can be found during the night.
In the games that the emperor butterfly appears in, it is a rare bug that the player can encounter, and can be found flying around flowers. InAnimal Crossing: New Horizons, it can be caught fromsummer to the start offall, and again fromwinter to the start ofspring.
Catch details[edit]
InWild World[edit]
"I caught an emperor butterfly! It's blue... it's royal!"
| Description | Their wings are iridescent, like the back of a CD. |
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| Time of year | Jul – Sep |
| Time of day | 8 AM – 5 PM |
| Peak times | N/A |
| Location | Flying near flowers |
| Bug size | 115 mm |
| Selling price |  2,500Bells |
| Furniture size |  |
InCity Folk[edit]
"I caught an emperor butterfly! Such royal beauty!"
| Description | Their wings appear to be blue on one side, but quite plain on the other. |
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| 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 | 2,500Bells |
| Furniture size | |
InNew Leaf[edit]
"I caught an emperor butterfly! Feeling blue, Your Majesty?"
| Time of year | Jun – Sep All year (Tortimer Island) |
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| 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 onTortimer Island) |
| Size | 146 mm |
| Rarity | Rare |
| Selling price | 2,500Bells |
| Furniture size | |
InPocket Camp[edit]
The emperor butterfly is one of the seven bugs inAnimal Crossing: Pocket Camp that has been in the game since its release.
| Availability (Pocket Camp Complete) | Spring |
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| Availability (Pocket Camp) | Currently available(sinceMarch 26, 2024)
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| Location |  Sunburst Island |
| Size | 137.7 mm – 154.2 mm |
| Rarity | ★★★ |
| Selling price | 3,000Bells |
| Version added | 0.9.0 |
| Villager gift data | Tier: 3 (Uncommon+) Rewards:
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Friendship pointsInNew Horizons[edit]
"I caught an emperor butterfly! It's not your average monarch!"
| Time of year | North: Dec – Mar; Jun – Sep South: Jun – Sep; Dec – Mar |
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| 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: 4,000Bells Flick: 6,000Bells |
| Furniture size | |
Donating to the museum[edit]
As with allfish andbugs in theAnimal Crossing series, the emperor butterfly can be donated to themuseum by talking toBlathers, the curator. When donating, Blathers will say the following upon receiving the Emperor Butterfly:
InWild World[edit]
After donation, the emperor can be found fluttering around the flowers in the first room of the insect exhibit.
InCity Folk[edit]
It can be found in the bottom terrace, flying near or resting on the flowers with any other butterflies.
InNew Leaf[edit]
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:
InNew Horizons[edit]
When the player donates an emperor butterfly, Blathers will say this about it before thanking the player for the donation:
Gallery[edit]
Animal Crossing: Wild World
Animal Crossing: City Folk
Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Real-world information[edit]
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 nameEmperor Butterfly, while not used to refer to its species, may originate from the species' family,Nymphalidae, which is sometimes known as the Emperors.
Etymology[edit]
Morpho stems from the Greek word forform, 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[edit]
 | モルフォチョウ morufo chou | Morpho butterfly |
 | 몰포나비 molponabi | Morpho butterfly |
 | 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 |
Notes[edit]
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