Ornithoptera priamus
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Ornithoptera priamus - mating |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Ornithoptera priamus | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus , 1758) |
Ornithoptera priamus is a butterfly in the genus of the bird moth ( ornithoptera ) from the family of the swallowtail butterfly (PAPILIONIDAE). The species is in Appendix II of the CITES Agreement. It is named after King Priam .
The range of Ornithoptera priamus extends from the islands of the Moluccas in the west over New Guinea to the Duke of York Islands in the east and in the south to northern Australia ( Queensland ). In Australia it is the only representative of its genus. According to the large distribution area, there are numerous subspecies of the species . Sometimes endemic to islands .
The caterpillars feed on various plant species of the family aristolochiaceae (Aristolochiaceae).
features
Ornithoptera priamus shows a strong sexual dimorphism . The body (including antennae, legs and trunk) of both sexes has a black base color - the chest area is partly hairy red and the abdomen is yellow.
male
The male - whose wingspan remains smaller than that of the female - has wings with a black base color, which have large metallic green stripes and areas on the upper side and yellow, green and blue patterns on the underside.
female
The female - which is larger than the male with a wingspan of up to 20 cm - has wings with a dark brown base color that bear a pattern of white spots.
swell
- Martin Baehr: Animal and Plant Guide Australia , Stuttgart 2006
- Description: [1]
