Rothschild's Birdwing

Ornithoptera Rothschildi, females

Ornithoptera Rothschildi (English: Rothschild's birdwing ) is a large butterfly of the family of Ritterfalter and belongs to the genus of bird butterfly ( also bird wing butterfly birdwing butterfly or called ). It is endemic in the Arfak Mountains of West Papua.

The first researcher who encountered this kind, was the entomologist Carl Brenders Pratt. The first description dates from the year 1911 by George H. Kenrick. He was named after the British noblemen and zoologist Lionel Walter Rothschild, 2nd Baron Rothschild, who financed many expeditions to New Guinea and Papua.

Features

The females reach a wingspan up to 15 inches. The forewings are dark brown to black-brown marked with creamy white dots. The rear pair of wings is edged with black scales and is in the middle area colored yellow with black dots. The abdomen has black -haired rings. The males are slightly smaller, but have this iridescent scales. The wingspan is about 13 inches and body length up to eight inches. The front pair of wings is framed with black scales and in the central region, the scales are black, colored green and yellow. The rear pair of wings has black scales on the edge. The middle section is yellow marked with black spots, on which smaller spots that are colored lime green border. The abdomen is golden.

Way of life

Unlike other bird moths he does not drink from puddles, but refers the water from the nectar that he sucks from the flowers.

Dissemination

Ornithoptera Rothschildi has the most restricted distribution of all bird moths. Its habitat are flower meadows at an altitude 1800-2700 m above sea level in sheltered valleys and gorges of Mt Arfak and Mt Koberai and Lake Anggi and Manyam Bou in the Arfak Mountains, West Papua.

Endangering

Ornithoptera Rothschildi is potentially endangered already by its low area of ​​distribution. The real danger comes from but from habitat destruction, since the natural mountain meadows are disappearing from agricultural use, the layout of plantations and construction activity. Ornithoptera Rothschildi is protected by CITES Appendix II Agreement.

Rare hybrids

In 1977 it was discovered in the vicinity of Mt Arfak the female of a new species of butterfly which was described as Ornithoptera akakeae. Two years later, however, stated that it was a natural hybrid of Ornithoptera Rothschildi and Ornithoptera priamus poseidon.