Cairns Birdwing
Encyclopedia
The Cairns Birdwing is a species of birdwing
butterfly
endemic to northeastern Australia
, and is Australia's largest endemic butterfly species.
Females have a wingspan reaching of up to 16 cm, males are usually a few centimeters smaller. A closely allied species, the New Guinea
or Priam's Birdwing (Ornithoptera priamus
) reaches 19 cm and is the largest butterfly species found in Australia, but it is not endemic.
Males have a predominately black upper wing with emerald green flashes, however the female lacks the green coloring, having a plain black upper wing with white patches. The female is the larger of the two sexes. The larvae or caterpillars of this species breed on several species of pipe vine, including Aristolochia tagala
and Pararistolochia
deltantha. The latter species is more commonly used at altitude, with A. tagala used at sea level.
and Cooktown
to Mackay
in Queensland
. Its favoured habitat is primary rainforest, although the species will breed readily in a home garden if the correct larval host plants are grown.
The leaves of the introduced Dutchman's Pipe
(Aristolochia elegans) will kill the larvae of this species and several other swallowtail butterflies in Australia. It should not be planted anywhere in Queensland, New South Wales or the Northern Territory. Adults are freely attracted to flowers, including Lantana
, Hibiscus
and Bougainvillea
. The species is abundant throughout its range and is not threatened.
Birdwing
Birdwings are papilionid butterflies native to the Indian Subcontinent, mainland and archipelagic Southeast Asia and Australasia, and are usually regarded as belonging to three genera: Ornithoptera, Trogonoptera and Troides. Some authorities include additional genera...
butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
endemic to northeastern Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, and is Australia's largest endemic butterfly species.
Description
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
or Priam's Birdwing (Ornithoptera priamus
Ornithoptera priamus
Ornithoptera priamus, commonly known as the common green birdwing, Cape York Birdwing, Priam's Birdwing or Northern Birdwing, is a widespread species of birdwing butterfly found in the central and south Moluccas, New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, and northeast...
) reaches 19 cm and is the largest butterfly species found in Australia, but it is not endemic.
Males have a predominately black upper wing with emerald green flashes, however the female lacks the green coloring, having a plain black upper wing with white patches. The female is the larger of the two sexes. The larvae or caterpillars of this species breed on several species of pipe vine, including Aristolochia tagala
Aristolochia tagala
Aristolochia tagala is commonly known as Indian birthwort and locally as Dutchman's pipe.-Distribution:It is widely distributed: the distribution is from the Himalaya to Sri Lanka through South East Asia and China, to Oceania...
and Pararistolochia
Pararistolochia
Pararistolochia is a genus of plant family Aristolochiaceae. It contains the following species :Species from Africa:* Pararistolochia ceropegioides, Hutch. & Dalz....
deltantha. The latter species is more commonly used at altitude, with A. tagala used at sea level.
Distribution
Cairns Birdwings are found southwards from Mount WebbMount Webb National Park
Mount Webb is a national park in Queensland, Australia. It is 1602 km northwest of Brisbane.-See also:* Protected areas of Queensland...
and Cooktown
Cooktown, Queensland
Cooktown is a small town located at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs in 1770. At the 2006 census, Cooktown had a population of 1,336...
to Mackay
Mackay, Queensland
Mackay is a city on the eastern coast of Queensland, Australia, about north of Brisbane, on the Pioneer River. Mackay is nicknamed the sugar capital of Australia because its region produces more than a third of Australia's cane sugar....
in Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
. Its favoured habitat is primary rainforest, although the species will breed readily in a home garden if the correct larval host plants are grown.
The leaves of the introduced Dutchman's Pipe
Aristolochia
Aristolochia is a large plant genus with over 500 species. Collectively known as birthworts, pipevines or Dutchman's pipes, they are the namesake of the family . They are widespread and occur in the most diverse climates. Some species, like A. utriformis and A...
(Aristolochia elegans) will kill the larvae of this species and several other swallowtail butterflies in Australia. It should not be planted anywhere in Queensland, New South Wales or the Northern Territory. Adults are freely attracted to flowers, including Lantana
Lantana
Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in the Australian-Pacific region. The genus includes both...
, Hibiscus
Hibiscus
Hibiscus is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. It is quite large, containing several hundred species that are native to warm-temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world...
and Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea is a genus of flowering plants native to South America from Brazil west to Peru and south to southern Argentina . Different authors accept between four and 18 species in the genus...
. The species is abundant throughout its range and is not threatened.