Ornithoptera euphorion

Last updated

Cairns birdwing
MG 3164.jpg
Male at Melbourne Zoo
Troides euphorion - female - Cairns Birdwing.-14.JPG
Female, ventral view
CITES Appendix II (CITES) [1]
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Papilionidae
Genus: Ornithoptera
Species:
O. euphorion
Binomial name
Ornithoptera euphorion
(Gray, 1852)
Distribution of Ornithoptera in Australia.png
Distribution of Ornithoptera euphorion (in green) and other species of Ornithoptera in Australia
Synonyms
  • Troides euphorion
  • Troides priamus

Ornithoptera euphorion, the Cairns birdwing, is a species of birdwing butterfly endemic to Queensland, and is Australia's largest endemic butterfly species. Other common names include Cooktown birdwing and northern birdwing. [2] The names Cairns and Cooktown in its common name reference the Australian cities in the region where this butterfly is found.

Contents

Description

The wingspan can be up to 15 cm (5.9 in) in females, and 12.5 cm (4.9 in) in males. [2] A closely allied species, the New Guinea or Priam's birdwing ( Ornithoptera priamus ) reaches 19 cm (7.5 in) and is the largest butterfly species found in Australia, but it is not endemic. O. euphorion is quite closely related to O. richmondia , differing by its greater size and more extensive green markings in the male. [3]

Males have a predominantly black upper wing with emerald green flashes, however the female lacks the green colouring, having a plain black upper wing with white patches. The female is the larger of the two sexes.

There was a spectacular and rare genetic mutation of this butterfly, where single aberrant female produced less than 40 aberrant progeny. The females were pale instead of dark, and the males were golden instead of green. [4]

Distribution

Cairns birdwings are found southwards from Mount Webb and Cooktown to Mackay in Queensland. Its favoured habitat is rainforest of the Queensland wet tropics region, including riverine forest, and particularly near the coast. It is also often seen in Cairns, attracted to the flowers of Lantana , Hibiscus and Bougainvillea in suburban gardens.

The species is abundant throughout its range and is not threatened.

Biology

Adult male emerging from chrysalis Ornithoptera euphorion, adult male emerging from chrysalis.jpg
Adult male emerging from chrysalis
Copulating pair (female above, male below) at Melbourne Zoo Ornithoptera euphorion, Melbourne Zoo.JPG
Copulating pair (female above, male below) at Melbourne Zoo

Ova: The eggs are very slightly larger than those of O. richmondia. A female may lay as many as 300 eggs in her lifetime. [3]

Larva: Larvae are very similar to those of O. richmondia, with colouration varying from light to dark grey. Food plants known to be utilised by the larvae are Aristolochia acuminata , A. indica , A. pubera , A. thoszetti , A. australopithecurus , A. deltantha and A. sparusifolia . The leaves of the introduced Dutchman's pipe (Aristolochia littoralis) will kill the larvae of this species and several other swallowtail butterflies in Australia. Consequently, it is discouraged to plant Dutchman's pipe in Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. [3]

Pupa: Like most other species of its genus, the pupa is light brown and yellow. [3]

Imago: Adult males have been known to guard females with which they have recently mated, possibly to ensure that the sphragis (mating plug) does not become dislodged by another male, as it will not fully harden until approximately one day later.

Both sexes support their weight when feeding at flowers by rapidly fluttering their wings. Males occasionally compete for flowers with other nectarivores, such as small birds, and usually succeed at driving them off by aggressively flying towards them.

Adults are very likely to be unpalatable to vertebrates, due to feeding on Aristolochia as a larva, although they do sometimes fall prey to the golden silk orb-weaver spider. [3]

Footnotes

  1. "Appendices | CITES". cites.org. Retrieved 2022-01-14.
  2. 1 2 Braby (2004) p. 124
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Orr & Kitching (2010). The Butterflies of Australia. Jacana Books. ISBN   978-1-74175-108-6.
  4. Golden Birdwing, Insect Company.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swallowtail butterfly</span> Butterflies of family Papilionidae

Swallowtail butterflies are large, colorful butterflies in the family Papilionidae, and include over 550 species. Though the majority are tropical, members of the family inhabit every continent except Antarctica. The family includes the largest butterflies in the world, the birdwing butterflies of the genus Ornithoptera.

<i>Aristolochia</i> Genus of plants in the family Aristolochiaceae

Aristolochia is a large plant genus with over 500 species that is the type genus of the family Aristolochiaceae. Its members are commonly known as birthwort, pipevine or Dutchman's pipe and are widespread and occur in the most diverse climates. Some species, like A. utriformis and A. westlandii, are threatened with extinction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Birdwing</span> Butterflies in swallowtail family

Birdwings are butterflies in the swallowtail family, that belong to the genera Trogonoptera, Troides, and Ornithoptera. Most recent authorities recognise 36 species, however, this is debated, and some authorities include additional genera. Birdwings are named for their exceptional size, angular wings, and birdlike flight. They are found across tropical Asia, mainland and archipelagic Southeast Asia, and Australasia.

<i>Ornithoptera</i> Species of butterfly

Ornithoptera is a genus of birdwing butterflies found in the northern portion of the Australasian realm, east of Weber's line; the Moluccas, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and northeastern Australia; except for Ornithoptera richmondia, which may be found in far northeastern New South Wales, Australia, therefore the southernmost distribution of birdwings. This genus includes the two largest butterfly species in the world, the Queen Alexandra's birdwing and the Goliath birdwing. Ornithoptera species are highly prized by insect collectors because they are rare, large, and considered exceptionally beautiful.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Alexandra's birdwing</span> Largest species of butterfly

Ornithoptera alexandrae, the Queen Alexandra's birdwing, is the largest species of butterfly in the world, with females reaching wingspans slightly in excess of 25 cm to 28 cm. This birdwing is restricted to the forests of the Oro Province in eastern Papua New Guinea.

<i>Ornithoptera goliath</i> Species of birdwing butterfly

Ornithoptera goliath, the Goliath birdwing, is a birdwing butterfly found in New Guinea. It is the second largest butterfly in the world, after the Queen Alexandra's birdwing.

<i>Battus philenor</i> Species of butterfly

Battus philenor, the pipevine swallowtail or blue swallowtail, is a swallowtail butterfly found in North America and Central America. This butterfly is black with iridescent-blue hindwings. They are found in many different habitats, but are most commonly found in forests. Caterpillars are often black or red, and feed on compatible plants of the genus Aristolochia. They are known for sequestering acids from the plants they feed on in order to defend themselves from predators by being poisonous when consumed. The adults feed on the nectar of a variety of flowers. Some species of Aristolochia are toxic to the larvae, typically tropical varieties. While enthusiasts have led citizen efforts to conserve pipevine swallowtails in their neighborhoods on the West coast, the butterfly has not been the subject of a formal program in conservation or protected in legislation. The butterfly is however of "Special Concern" in Michigan, which is on the Northern limit of its range.

<i>Trogonoptera brookiana</i> Species of butterfly

Trogonoptera brookiana, Rajah Brooke's birdwing, is a birdwing butterfly from the rainforests of the Thai-Malay Peninsula, Borneo, Natuna, Sumatra, and various small islands west of Sumatra. The butterfly was named by the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1855, after James Brooke, the Rajah of Sarawak. The larval host plants are Aristolochia acuminata and A. foveolata. Adults sip flower nectar from plants such as Bauhinia. Rajah Brooke's birdwing is a protected species, listed under Appendix II of CITES, meaning that international export is restricted to those who have been granted a permit. It is the national butterfly of Malaysia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rothschild's birdwing</span> Species of birdwing butterfly

Rothschild's birdwing is a large birdwing butterfly, endemic to the Arfak Mountains in Western New Guinea.

<i>Aristolochia littoralis</i> Species of vine

Aristolochia littoralis, the calico flower or مورپنکھ بیل or elegant Dutchman's pipe, is a species of evergreen vine belonging to the family Aristolochiaceae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian Butterfly Sanctuary</span> Zoo in Queensland, Australia

The Australian Butterfly Sanctuary is a butterfly sanctuary and exhibit situated in the centre of Kuranda, Queensland, Australia.

<i>Ornithoptera chimaera</i> Species of birdwing butterfly

Ornithoptera chimaera, the chimaera birdwing, is a birdwing butterfly of the family Papilionidae. It is found in mountain areas of New Guinea, 1000 meters above sea level.

<i>Ornithoptera meridionalis</i> Species of birdwing butterfly

Ornithoptera meridionalis, the southern tailed birdwing, is the smallest species of the genus Ornithoptera. It is known from a handful of localities in southeast Papua, New Guinea and several localities along the south coast of Irian Jaya.

<i>Ornithoptera paradisea</i> Species of birdwing butterfly

Ornithoptera paradisea, the paradise birdwing, is a species of birdwing butterfly found in New Guinea.

<i>Ornithoptera priamus</i> Species of birdwing butterfly

Ornithoptera priamus, the common green birdwing, Cape York birdwing, Priam's birdwing, northern birdwing or New Guinea birdwing is a widespread species of birdwing butterfly found in the central and south Moluccas, New Guinea, Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, and north-east Australia.

<i>Ornithoptera richmondia</i> Species of birdwing butterfly

Ornithoptera richmondia, the Richmond birdwing, is a species of birdwing butterfly that is endemic to Australia. It is the second smallest of the birdwing species, the smallest being Ornithoptera meridionalis.

<i>Papilio anactus</i> Species of butterfly

Papilio anactus, the dainty swallowtail, dingy swallowtail or small citrus butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly from the family Papilionidae, that is endemic to Australia.

<i>Aristolochia praevenosa</i> Species of flowering plant

Aristolochia praevenosa, synonym Pararistolochia praevenosa, is an Australian plant in the birthwort family, native to Queensland and New South Wales. The Richmond birdwing butterfly vine grows in subtropical rainforest in coastal areas north from Wollongbar, in far north eastern New South Wales and adjacent areas in south eastern Queensland. It has been recorded as far north as the Mary River. It also grows in tropical north eastern Queensland, where it is a food plant for the Cairns birdwing butterfly.

<i>Troides amphrysus</i> Species of butterfly

Troides amphrysus, the Malay birdwing, is a birdwing butterfly in the genus Troides in the family Papilionidae.

<i>Austrocallerya megasperma</i> Species of legume

Austrocallerya megasperma, one of several species commonly known as native wisteria, is a species of flowering plant in the family Fabaceae and is endemic to eastern Australia. It is a woody climber with pinnate leaves and racemes of purple, pea-like flowers.

References