|
NEW GUINEA BIRDWING FACTS |
Identification
The New Guinea Birdwing is the largest butterfly species found in Australia. The upper side of the male's forewings are mainly black with emerald green around the leading and trailing edges and a narrow green stripe in the centre of the black area; the hindwings are emerald green with black dots. The female has black upper forewings with white patches, and black hindwings with yellow outer margin containing black spots. The female does not have any green markings. The New Guinea Birdwing male is similar to the Cairns Birdwing male which has less green on the forewings and no thin patch of green in the middle of the black area. (Some subspecies of Ornithoptera priamus in island groups east of New Guinea have blue males).
Other Names
Common Green Birdwing
Size
wingspan: male 125mm; female 170mm
Habitat
lowland rainforest
Food
larva feeds mainly on Aristolochia acuminata
Range
found in northern Cape York peninsula and Torres Strait Islands. Also found in New Guinea and Indonesia.
Classification
| Class: | Insecta | | Order: | Lepidoptera | | Family: | Papilionidae | | Genus: | Ornithoptera | | Species: | priamus | | Common Name: | New Guinea Birdwing |
|
|
