Goliath Birdwing
Encyclopedia
The Goliath Birdwing is a birdwing
butterfly
found in New Guinea
, and is the second-largest butterfly
in the world.
. The African Giant Swallowtail
reached an almost equal wing span.
The males have black, yellow and green wings and a yellow and black body, while the females are brown and white on the top wings and yellow on the bottom wings. The female is typically larger than the male. Flight is leisurely, but controlled and powerful. Males pursue their females for long distances, rising high over the forest canopy then folding their wings and diving down to tree level to mate, even though they risk hindwing damage by the sharp tarsal claws of females.
The Goliath Birdwing takes an approximate 15 minutes to emerge from its chrysalis because of its large wings.
and adjacent smaller islands. Some subspecies are found in northern Irian Jaya and adjacent Islands.
farm these butterflies in the wild as a means of generating income from the environment without destroying it. Harvesting the butterflies is legal and does require a permit. It is a rare butterfly, but harvesting does not endanger it.
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...
found in New Guinea
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...
, and is the second-largest 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...
in the world.
Description
It has a wingspan up to 28 centimetres (11 in). This makes it the world's second largest butterfly, after the Queen Alexandra's BirdwingQueen Alexandra's Birdwing
Queen Alexandra's Birdwing is the largest butterfly in the world.The species was named by Lord Walter Rothschild in 1907, in honour of Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII of the United Kingdom...
. The African Giant Swallowtail
Papilio antimachus
Papilio antimachus is a butterfly in the family Papilionidae. With a wingspan between , it is the largest butterfly in Africa and among the largest butterflies in the world. Papilio antimachus live in the tropical rainforests of West and Central Africa...
reached an almost equal wing span.
The males have black, yellow and green wings and a yellow and black body, while the females are brown and white on the top wings and yellow on the bottom wings. The female is typically larger than the male. Flight is leisurely, but controlled and powerful. Males pursue their females for long distances, rising high over the forest canopy then folding their wings and diving down to tree level to mate, even though they risk hindwing damage by the sharp tarsal claws of females.
The Goliath Birdwing takes an approximate 15 minutes to emerge from its chrysalis because of its large wings.
Distribution
Ornithoptera goliath lives in rainforests of New GuineaNew 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...
and adjacent smaller islands. Some subspecies are found in northern Irian Jaya and adjacent Islands.
Harvesting
The locals from Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea , officially the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, is a country in Oceania, occupying the eastern half of the island of New Guinea and numerous offshore islands...
farm these butterflies in the wild as a means of generating income from the environment without destroying it. Harvesting the butterflies is legal and does require a permit. It is a rare butterfly, but harvesting does not endanger it.
External links
- Picture of Ornithoptera goliath procus in birdwings gallery.
- www.butterflycorner.net (English/German)