Birdwing is a rare and stunningly beautiful butterfly. It is the only one of its kind among lepidopteran insects.

She is also called Queen Alexandra or Ornithoptera Alexandra. Translated into Greek, it means “bird wing”.

The butterfly received this name for a reason: due to its very large size, from a distance, it is very similar to a bird. Ornithopteras are classified as members of the sailboat family, and their number reaches 800 species.

The queen ornithoptera was nicknamed because of its distinctively larger size among the individuals of the entire sailidae family. And the name was given to her in honor of the wife of the British King Edward VII. This butterfly is rightfully called a real pearl of the tropical forests.

For the first time such a butterfly was caught by accident, in New Guinea. It was a male. The size of his wings was as much as 20 centimeters! And their unusual shape, reminiscent of tropical leaves and stunning, unimaginable coloring amazed the imagination. According to scientists, this male was classified as a completely new species of ornithopter. It became necessary to find a mate for him, especially since the females are much larger than the males. The size of the wings of an adult female sometimes reaches 28 centimeters! However, their coloring is less bright than that of males.

The first lucky person in search of a female in 1906 was A.S. Mick. To expand his collection of insect studies, he wandered into the central part of New Guinea - this is the only place where birdwings live. While resting at a rest stop, Mick accidentally noticed a huge insect in the air, at the very tops of the trees. Having fired, he hit him directly and the insect fell right at the scientist’s feet. This was the same Queen Alexandra female that he had been looking for for so long. It was a rich dark brown color, and the size of the wings was as much as 28 cm.

Many collectors dream of getting a huge butterfly and are actively hunting for it. But this is almost impossible to do, since it lives and feeds on the nectar of flowers growing at very high altitudes. The flowers are called aristochilia and bloom high on tree branches.

At the moment, hunting huge butterflies is strictly prohibited, as they are under protection due to the severe reduction in their numbers. This was a consequence of the eruption of the Lamington volcano in 1951. Over 260 square meters were lost. km of birdwing habitat.

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Abstract on the topic:

Queen Alexandra's Birdwing

Plan:

Introduction

• 1 Spreading
• 2 Description
• 3 Reproduction
• 4 Security Notes
Notes

Introduction

Queen Alexandra's Birdwing or Queen Alexandra's birdwing or Ornithoptera Queen Alexandra(Ornithoptera alexandrae Rothschild, 1907) - the largest day butterfly in the world, belongs to the swallowtail family ( Papilionidae).

The first European to discover this butterfly species was the collector Albert Stuart Meek in 1906. In 1907, banker and butterfly collector Lord Walter Rothschild named the species in honor of Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII of Great Britain.

1. Distribution

The butterfly is found in a limited range - in the tropical rainforests of Papua New Guinea in the region of the Popondetta Mountains. The species belongs to the category Endangered(endangered taxon) according to the IUCN classification. The eruption of Mount Lamington in 1951 destroyed about 250 km² of the butterfly's natural habitat, which is the main reason for its rare distribution. Also due to the sharp decline in the number of butterflies of this species due to deforestation under the CITES agreement, the species Ornithoptera alexandrae was included in the list of prohibited animals.

2. Description

The closest specimen is a male, the far one is a female

Females of Alexandra's birdwing are larger than males, the span of their rounded wings reaches 28 cm. The length of the abdomen is 8 cm, weight - up to 12 grams. The color of the wings and abdomen is dark brown with white, cream and yellow ornaments. Males are smaller than females, their wingspan is up to 20 cm. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced - males are very different in appearance from females, their wings are narrower, colored blue and green.

3. Reproduction

The butterfly development cycle lasts four months. The adult lives for three months. Food plants for caterpillars - Aristolochia Diels ( Aristolochia dielsiana) and Schechter's aristolochia ( Aristolochia schlechteri) . The caterpillars grow up to 12 cm in length and 3 cm in thickness.

4. Security notes

Listed as lepidoptera whose export, re-export and import are regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

Notes

1. 1 2 3 4 L. V. Kaabak, A. V. Sochivko Butterflies of the world / G. Wilczek. - Moscow: Avanta+, 2003. - P. 86. - 184 p. - (The most beautiful and famous). - 10,000 copies. - ISBN 5-94623-008-5, ISBN 5-98986-071-4
2. 1 2 3 V. Landman Butterflies. Illustrated encyclopedia / scientific. reviewer Divakova S.V. - Moscow: Labyrinth Press, 2002. - P. 71. - 272 p. - (Illustrated Encyclopedia). - ISBN 5-9287-0274-4
3. Kravchuk P. A. Records of nature. - L.: Erudite, 1993. - 216 p. - 60,000 copies. - ISBN 5-7707-2044-1
4. Ornithoptera alexandrae- www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/15513/: information on the IUCN Red List website (English)
5. N. Mark Collins, Michael G. Morris Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World: The IUCN Red Data Book - books.google.co.uk/books?id=RomV7uO_t9YC&pg=PA288&vq=Ornithoptera alexandrae&dq=Ornithoptera alexandrae&lr=&as_brr=3&hl=ru&source=gbs_search_s&sig=R14iNU6hDDUnvQg Dq5BWClhgZgU. - IUCN, 1985. - P. 288. - 401 p. - ISBN 2880326036

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This abstract is based on an article from Russian Wikipedia. Synchronization completed 07/11/11 13:36:58
Similar abstracts:

Queen Alexandra's Birdwing.
Kingdom: animals (Animalia).
Phylum: arthropods (Arthropoda).
Class: insects (Insecta).
Order: Lepidoptera (Lepidoptera).
Family: sailboats (Papilionidae).
Genus: ornithoptera (Ornithoptera).
Species: Queen Alexandra's Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae).
Translated from ancient Greek, “ornithoptera” means “bird wing”. The butterfly received its name in 1907 thanks to Lord Walter Rothschild. He named her so in honor of Edward VII's wife Alexandra of Denmark, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, as well as Empress of India.
Habitats
Currently, the species lives in a strictly limited range in the southeast of Papua New Guinea. It is found at an altitude of 155 m above sea level in coastal lowland forests and small gorges along the rivers of Oro Province near the Popondetta Valley. The butterfly prefers to spend most of its life in the crowns and tops of trees, occasionally descending to the ground. Previously, the birdwing was found even in the mountains - in the northern part of the Owen-Stanley Range. It was there in January 1906, at an altitude of about 1,700 m above sea level, that Albert Stuart Meek, assistant to banker and entomologist Walter Rothschild, first caught a female of this species.
Appearance
Queen Alexandra's birdwing, or ornithoptera, is the largest daytime butterfly on earth. Sexual dimorphism is extremely pronounced - sometimes it is difficult to believe that a female and a male belong to the same species. The females are large: with a body length of 8 cm, the span of their rounded wings reaches 28 cm. The wings and abdomen are colored dark brown with white, cream or yellow splashes. The underside of the wings has an original pattern with contrasting wide darkening along the veins - it is this that allows one to distinguish the female of this species from other ornithopteran species. The weight of the butterfly can reach 12 g. Males are smaller than females. Their wings, with the finest shades of blue and green, are lined with black lines. Similar to antique brocade and narrower than other ornithopteras, they resemble the petals of an exotic tropical flower. The span reaches 17–20 cm.
Lifestyle and biology
The butterfly development cycle lasts four months. An adult lives no more than three months. Throughout their lives, females lay 27 bright blue eggs, from which caterpillars then hatch. They have a velvety black color and a longitudinal cream stripe, reaching 12 cm in length. They feed first on the shell of their own egg, and then on the leaves of various types of Aristolochia vine (Aristolochia spp.), which contain poisonous acids that are fatal to vertebrates. By accumulating these substances, the caterpillar acquires a taste that is unpleasant for birds and many other predators, which allows it to protect itself. The butterfly pupa is golden yellow or reddish brown with black spots. Its length is 9 cm, thickness is about 3 cm. It takes about six weeks from the egg stage to the formation of the pupa; the transformation of the pupa into an adult takes about a month or even more. An adult butterfly usually appears at dawn, when the air humidity is even higher. Before the sun rises high and becomes much hotter and drier, the insect has time to fully spread its wings. Adults feed mainly on large flowers, such as hibiscus. They fly well and are most active early in the morning or at dusk.
Listed in the Red Book
Previously, Queen Alexandra's birdwing lived in almost the entire eastern part of the island of New Guinea. The reason for the rare distribution of the species was a sharp reduction in its natural habitat. In 1951, the eruption of Mount Lamington destroyed about 250 km2 of the main habitat of this amazing butterfly, which significantly affected its population. The cutting down of tropical rainforests to create oil palm plantations has also had a negative impact.
Papua New Guinea's wildlife conservation law in the 1970s prevented the insect's extinction but failed to stop poaching. Due to its great rarity, Queen Alexandra's Birdwing is still highly prized by collectors and fetches considerable money on the black market.

Papua New Guinea

Description

The pride of the eastern tropics - Queen Alexandra's Ornithopter! We take our hats off, gentlemen, to such a great beauty! It's time for us to meet the largest butterfly in the world: the female Ornithoptera Queen Alexandra is considered the largest daytime butterfly with a wingspan of up to 30 cm. But note, this is only a female! This is how the famous naturalist and traveler Alfred Russell Wallace described his meeting with this “royalty”: “During my first walk through the forest, I saw a huge dark-colored butterfly with white and yellow spots sitting on the greenery out of reach. I couldn’t take it, because she immediately flew up into the treetops, but I noticed that it was a female with huge wings like a bird... The next day I went to the same bushes again... and discovered one of the most magnificent colored butterflies in! world. The wingspan of the male is over seven inches (about 15 cm), velvety black and fiery orange combined with a bright green color. The beauty and brilliance of this insect is indescribable, and no one except a naturalist can understand the intense excitement that I have. then I experienced..."
The behavior of these royal butterflies is surprising: the males “patrol” their forest territory every morning and often engage in air battles with competitors, and can even drive away small birds. When the male discovers the female, he hovers over her for a while, releasing pheromones so that she senses his presence and mating begins. After mating, the female incubates the eggs for 2 - 3 days. Then she lays eggs. After this, females and males fly in the morning and evening. Butterflies feed on the nectar of hibiscus and other large flowers that can support their weight; by the way, the butterfly weighs about 12 grams. However, while collecting nectar, butterflies constantly flutter their wings, supporting themselves in the air by weight. And finally, the most important thing: this species of Ornithopter is considered the rarest species and is found only in a tiny area - the Popondetta Valley in Papua New Guinea. This species was discovered in 1907 by Rothschild.

Butterflies are rightfully considered one of the most beautiful inhabitants of our planet. But the fluttering beauties of our country cannot be compared with the giant butterflies that live in southern countries. We offer you to see what the largest representatives of the Lepidoptera order look like and where they live.

Tizania Agrippina

Tizania Agrippina

This nocturnal moth, called Thysania agrippina, or Agrippina cutworm, lives in the tropical rainforests of South and Central America. The largest representative of this species known to science was caught in Brazil, and its wingspan reached 29.8 centimeters.

Tizania Agrippina

Queen Alexandra's Birdwing

Queen Alexandra's Birdwing, male

A butterfly called Queen Alexandra's birdwing, or Queen Alexandra's ornithopter (lat. Ornithoptera alexandrae) is the largest day butterfly in the world. These butterflies live only on the island of New Guinea and, unfortunately, are so rare that they are even listed in the International Red Book as an endangered species. The wingspan of this butterfly reaches 27 centimeters, and males and females differ significantly in the color and shape of their wings.

Queen Alexandra's Birdwing: male above, female below

Peacock-eye hercules

Peacock-eye Hercules, male

The Hercules peacock-eye, or Coscinocera hercules (lat. Coscinocera hercules), is also a nocturnal butterfly and lives in Australia and Papua New Guinea. The wingspan of this beauty reaches 26-27 centimeters, and the caterpillars grow up to 10 centimeters in length. In this species, females and males also have different colors and wing shapes.

Peacock eye atlas

Peacock eye atlas

Another giant butterfly from the peacock-eye family is the atlas peacock-eye (lat. Attacus atlas). They live in tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia, and their wingspan reaches 24 centimeters. It is noteworthy that adult butterflies do not feed and live off the nutrients accumulated by the caterpillar. Females and males differ somewhat from each other in the color and shape of their wings.

Sailboat antimah

Sailboat antimah

This bright leopard-colored butterfly is native to equatorial and tropical regions of Africa and is the continent's largest butterfly. The sailboat antimach (lat. Papilio antimachus) has a wingspan of up to 23-25 ​​centimeters and is active during the daytime.

Ornithoptera goliath

Ornithoptera goliath: male above, female below

Ornithoptera goliath, or bird-winged goliath (lat. Ornithoptera goliath), measures up to 20-22 centimeters and lives on the islands of Southeast Asia. Due to their island distribution, several subspecies are distinguished among them, which differ in their color nuances.

Troides Hippolytus

Troides hippolytus: male above, female below

Females of the species Troides hypolitus (lat. Troides hypolitus) are larger than males, and their wingspan reaches 20 centimeters. These butterflies live in the forests of Sulawesi and the Maluku Islands.

Trogonoptera trojan

Trogonoptera trojan, male

Another beauty that ranks 8th on our list of giants is Trogonoptera trojana. A very rare butterfly that lives only on the island of Palawan (Philippines). The wingspan of this species reaches 17-19 centimeters. Males are smaller in size, but their color is brighter.

Ornithoptera cresus

Ornithoptera Croesus, male

A very bright daytime butterfly with a contrasting orange-black color lives in Indonesia and the islands of the Moluccas archipelago. Ornithoptera croesus (lat. Ornithoptera croesus) has a wingspan of 16-19 centimeters, while females are larger than males.

Madagascar comet

Madagascar comet

A very original, brightly colored nocturnal butterfly that lives exclusively in the humid forests of Madagascar. The Madagascar comet (lat. Argema mittrei) is so named for the unusual shape of its lower wings. The wingspan of this beauty, whose image appears on the Madagascar 5,000 Malagasy franc banknote, reaches 14-18 centimeters.