<![CDATA[Sulawesi supports a taxonomically distinctive butterfly fauna, yet trait-based information that can complement conventional biodiversity inventories remains limited. Previous studies in Gunung Tumpa Grand Forest Park have primarily emphasized species diversity, abundance, and pollinator communities, leaving morphometric differentiation among co-occurring taxa comparatively unexplored. This study quantified morphological differentiation among ten butterfly taxa recorded from Gunung Tumpa, North Sulawesi, using eleven linear morphometric variables describing wing, body, antenna, and leg dimensions. Measurements were standardized as z-scores and analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and Ward’s hierarchical clustering based on Euclidean distance. The first three principal components explained 93.22% of the total standardized variance (PC1 = 60.72%, PC2 = 18.51%, and PC3 = 13.99%). PC1 represented an integrated size-and-appendage gradient, with the strongest positive contributions from antenna length, abdomen length, thorax length, midleg length, and wing dimensions. Troides helena was strongly separated along PC1, Idea blanchardii along PC2, and Papilio sp. along PC3. Ward’s clustering corroborated this hierarchical pattern of differentiation: T. helena was the most morphometrically distinct taxon, whereas seven taxa formed a relatively compact core cluster before Papilio sp. and I. blanchardii joined at greater linkage distances. These results provide an exploratory trait-space baseline for butterflies in Gunung Tumpa and demonstrate that local taxonomic diversity is accompanied by pronounced morphological differentiation.]]>
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