''Ornithoptera euphorion'', the Cairns birdwing, is a species of

birdwing Birdwings are butterflies in the swallowtail family, that belong to the genera ''Trogonoptera'', ''Troides'', and ''Ornithoptera''. Most recent authorities recognise 36 species, however, this is debated, and some authorities include additional ...

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the Order (biology), order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, and is Australia's largest endemic butterfly species. Other common names include Cooktown birdwing and northern birdwing.Braby (2004) p. 124 The names

Cairns Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...

and

Cooktown Cooktown is a coastal town and locality in the Shire of Cook, Queensland, Australia. Cooktown is at the mouth of the Endeavour River, on Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland where James Cook beached his ship, the Endeavour, for repairs ...

in its common name reference the Australian cities in the region where this butterfly is found.

Description

The wingspan can be up to in females, and in males. A closely allied species, the

New Guinea New Guinea (; Hiri Motu Hiri Motu, also known as Police Motu, Pidgin Motu, or just Hiri, is a language of Papua New Guinea, which is spoken in surrounding areas of Port Moresby (Capital of Papua New Guinea). It is a simplified version of ...

or Priam's birdwing ('' Ornithoptera priamus'') reaches and is the largest butterfly species found in Australia, but it is not endemic. ''O. euphorion'' is quite closely related to '' O. richmondia'', differing by its greater size and more extensive green markings in the male. Males have a predominantly black upper wing with emerald green flashes, however the female lacks the green colouring, having a plain black upper wing with white patches. The female is the larger of the two sexes. There was a spectacular and rare genetic mutation of this butterfly, where single aberrant female produced less than 40 aberrant progeny. The females were pale instead of dark, and the males were golden instead of green.Golden Birdwing
Insect Company. File:OrnithopteraCassandraRippon.jpg, Male from '' Icones Ornithopterorum''. File:OrnithopteraCassandra2Rippon.jpg, Female from ''Icones Ornithopterorum''. Note the lack the green colouration.

Distribution

Cairns birdwings are found southwards from Mount Webb and

Mackay Mackay may refer to: *Clan Mackay, the Scottish clan from which the surname "MacKay" derives Mackay may also refer to: Places Australia * Mackay Region, a local government area ** Mackay, Queensland, a city in the above region *** Mackay Airpor ...

. Its favoured habitat is rainforest of the Queensland wet tropics region, including riverine forest, and particularly near the coast. It is also often seen in Cairns, attracted to the flowers of ''

Lantana ''Lantana'' () is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in ...

'', ''

Hibiscus ''Hibiscus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae. The genus is quite large, comprising several hundred species that are native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. Member species ...

'' and ''

Bougainvillea ''Bougainvillea'' ( , ) is a genus of thorny ornamental vines, bushes, and trees belonging to the four o' clock family, Nyctaginaceae. It is native to eastern South America, found from Brazil, west to Peru, and south to southern Argentina. ...

'' in suburban gardens. The species is abundant throughout its range and is not threatened.

Biology

Ornithoptera euphorion, adult male emerging from chrysalis

Ova: The eggs are very slightly larger than those of ''O. richmondia''. A female may lay as many as 300 eggs in her lifetime. Larva: Larvae are very similar to those of ''O. richmondia'', with colouration varying from light to dark grey. Food plants known to be utilised by the larvae are '' Aristolochia acuminata'', '' A. indica'', '' A. pubera'', '' A. thoszetti'', '' Pararistolochia australopithecurus'', '' P. deltantha'' and '' P. sparusifolia''. The leaves of the introduced Dutchman's pipe (''Aristolochia littoralis'') will kill the larvae of this species and several other swallowtail butterflies in Australia. Consequently, it is discouraged to plant Dutchman's pipe in Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Pupa: Like most other species of its genus, the pupa is light brown and yellow. Imago: Adult males have been known to guard females with which they have recently mated, possibly to ensure that the sphragis (mating plug) does not become dislodged by another male, as it will not fully harden until approximately one day later. Both sexes support their weight when feeding at flowers by rapidly fluttering their wings. Males occasionally compete for flowers with other nectarivores, such as small birds, and usually succeed at driving them off by aggressively flying towards them. Adults are very likely to be unpalatable to vertebrates, due to feeding on ''

Aristolochia ''Aristolochia'' () is a large plant genus with over 500 species that is the type genus of the family Aristolochiaceae. Its members are commonly known as birthwort, pipevine or Dutchman's pipe and are widespread and occur in the most diverse clima ...

'' as a larva, although they do sometimes fall prey to the

golden silk orb-weaver ''Nephila'' is a genus of araneomorph spiders noted for the impressive webs they weave. ''Nephila'' consists of numerous species found in warmer regions around the world. They are commonly called golden silk orb-weavers, golden orb-weavers, gia ...

spider.

Footnotes

References

*D'Abrera, B. (1975) ''Birdwing Butterflies of the World''. Country Life Books, London. * Braby, Michael F. (2004). ''The Complete Field Guide to Butterflies of Australia''. CSIRO Publishing. . * *Haugum, J. & Low, A.M. 1978-1985. ''A Monograph of the Birdwing Butterflies''. 2 volumes. Scandinavian Press, Klampenborg; 663 pp.

External links

Northeastern Australia. Queensland's tropical rainforests. Ecoregion
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2066988 euphorion Butterflies of Australia Endemic fauna of Australia Butterflies described in 1852 Taxa named by George Robert Gray