Troides dohertyi
Encyclopedia
The Talaud Black Birdwing (Troides dohertyi) is a birdwing
butterfly
endemic to the Talaud and Sangihe islands.
This species
is ranked as a subspecies
of Troides rhadamantus
by some authors.
.
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...
endemic to the Talaud and Sangihe islands.
This species
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
is ranked as a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
of Troides rhadamantus
Troides rhadamantus
The Golden Birdwing is a birdwing butterfly which inhabits the Philippines. There are many subspecies on different islands of the Philippines and some authors consider Troides plateni and Troides dohertyi as subspecies of T. rhadamantus.-External links:*...
by some authors.
Description
It is unique among birdwings, being almost entirely black on its upperside.The underside of the hindwing has the golden markings typical of Troides species. Rarely males have faint suggestions of gold colouration on the upper surface of their hindwing. Females may show yellow markings on their hindwings, and both sexes have whitish to tan stripes on their forewings It was named for William DohertyWilliam Doherty
William Doherty was an American entomologist who specialised in Lepidoptera and later also collected birds for the Natural History Museum at Tring ....
.