Rothschild's Birdwing

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iRothschild's Birdwing

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Papilionidae
Subfamily:	Papilioninae
Tribe:	Troidini
Genus:	Ornithoptera
Species:	O. rothschildi

Binomial name

Ornithoptera rothschildi
Kenrick, 1911

The Rothschild's Birdwing (Ornithoptera rothschildi) is a large butterfly from the birdwing genus endemic to the Arfak Mountains, Western New Guinea.

[edit] Description

This species was first recognized by entomologist Carl Brenders Pratt and described by George H. Kenrick in 1911. It was named in honour of Lord Walter Rothschild who financed most of the expeditions. The females can reach a wingspan up to 15 cm. The forewings are dark brown to blackish brown with creamy white to greyish spots. The hindwings rimmed with black scales and have a central patch of golden with black tips. The abdomen has hairy black rings. The wingspan of the males is approximately 13 cm and the body length up to 8 cm. The forewings of the males are surrounded with black scales and in the central area with blackish, yellowish-green and yellow scales. The hindwings have black scales on the edge. The central patch is yellow with black tips abutting with smaller spots which are coloured lime green. The abdomen is golden.

The Rothschild's Birdwing has the most restricted distribution of all birdwings. Its habitat are flowering meadows in an altitude from 2000 - 2700 m asl.

[edit] References

Gimenez Dixon (1996). Ornithoptera rothschildi. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006. Listed as Vulnerable (VU D2 v2.3)