Papua New Guinea (PNG) is home to the world’s largest butterfly – the “Ornithoptera alexandrae” or Queen Alexandra birdwing. Its wingspan can grow to 25cm. Queen Alexandra only breeds and lives in the Managalas Plateau in Eastern PNG or Oro Province. The butterfly numbers are unknown, and its habitat is increasingly disappearing. There are also concerns that the number of the large butterflies are depleting.
The Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing is on the red list of threatened species of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and its international trade is banned. From the perspective of species conservationists, the butterfly satisfies all of the criteria to make it a critically endangered species.
Walter Rothschild discovered the species in 1907 and named it after Alexandra of Denmark. The first European to discover the butterfly was one of Rothschild’s employee, Albert Stewart Meek during their expedition to Papua New Guinea.
Unusual Reproductive Biology
The threatened butterfly is vulnerable because of its unusual reproductive biology. The female lays its eggs exclusively on a poisonous vine called Aristolochia. Once the caterpillars have hatched, they ingest the plant’s toxic leaves, making them unpalatable for potential predators.
The Aristolochia winds its way up into the crowns of jungle trees, which can grow to heights of up to 40 meters (131 feet). The butterfly would be lost without the vine, so propagating the Aristolochia is one of the main goals of conservationists.
Tribalmystic Stories 
Such a rare beauty. I hope the conservation process works successfully, and the world sees an increased number of this amazing butterfly.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much Norma – I hope so too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an incredible butterfly – I hope the conservation efforts manage to save it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you – yes, I hope so too. Imagine seeing the butterflies in real life – very beautiful.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What an extraordinary butterfly Thanks for this info
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much Louise 🙂 You are welcome.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Amazing. Wow. Seems so strange to see a butterfly that huge. I hope they don’t all disappear. ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes – they are very large 🙂 Thank you – I hope they don’t disappear too.
LikeLike
I agree. ❤ ❤
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve never heard of this beautiful butterfly before and the information you’ve presented here is excellent. I can see how loss of its breeding habitat (the Aristolochia VIne) could cause the species to become endangered, and why propagating it is now the main aim of the conservationalists. Really interesting post, Joycelin. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you very much Millie – I am so glad you enjoyed the post. It would be a very tricky conservation project. Apparently the villagers are willing to do it with the help of some…
LikeLiked by 1 person