''Ornithoptera priamus'', the common green birdwing, Cape York birdwing, Priam's birdwing, northern birdwing or New Guinea birdwing is a widespread 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 ...

found in the central and south

Moluccas The Maluku Islands (; Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Maluku'') or the Moluccas () are an archipelago in the east of Indonesia. Tectonically they are located on the Halmahera Plate within the Molucca Sea Collision Zone. Geographically they are located eas ...

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 ...

Bismarck Archipelago The Bismarck Archipelago (, ) is a group of islands off the northeastern coast of New Guinea in the western Pacific Ocean and is part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. Its area is about 50,000 square km. History The first inhabitants o ...

Solomon Islands Solomon Islands is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania, to the east of Papua New Guinea and north-west of Vanuatu. It has a land area of , and a population of approx. 700,000. Its capita ...

, and north-east

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

.Ngypalnet
/ref> The specific name of ''Ornithoptera priamus'', is named after

Priam In Greek mythology, Priam (; grc-gre, Πρίαμος, ) was the legendary and last king of Troy during the Trojan War. He was the son of Laomedon. His many children included notable characters such as Hector, Paris, and Cassandra. Etymology Mo ...

(/ˈpraɪ.əm/, Greek Πρίαμος Priamos), the king of Troy during the Trojan War.

Description

''Ornithoptera priamus'' is

sexually dimorphic Sexual dimorphism is the condition where the sexes of the same animal and/or plant species exhibit different morphological characteristics, particularly characteristics not directly involved in reproduction. The condition occurs in most ani ...

. Male: The upperside forewings are velvety black. There is a green (most races) subcostal stripe and a green (most subspecies) marginal stripe bordering the termen, tormen and dorsum of the wing. The sex brand is black and longish. The underside of the forewing is black. There is a chain of bluish or green postdiscal spots. The hindwings are green. At the wing's leading edge (costa) there are basal yellow-gold spots. There is also a postdiscal chain of black spots. The edge of the hindwing is black. The underside is dark green or bluish. The yellow-golden spots are transparent. The veins are partly black and the marginal edge of the wing is black. At the outer edge there is a postdiscal chain of black spots. The body (abdomen) is yellow. Head and thorax are black. The underside of thorax has a red hair coat. Ornithoptera

Female: The female is larger than the male and in the upper range of the wingspan. The basic colour of the female is dark brown. There is a chain of white postdiscal spots on the forewings. There is a chain of larger white postdiscal spots with dark centres on the hindwing. The underside is very similar to the upper. Larva: First

instar An instar (, from the Latin '' īnstar'', "form", "likeness") is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each moult (''ecdysis''), until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or ass ...

larvae are wine red on hatching. They soon turn black or dark brown. All segments have soft tubercles with stiff ends bearing black spines. On the 4th segment tubercles are red. The tubercles are dark brown on the other segments. In the second instar, the tubercles lack spines, the 4th tubercles are light red and on the other segments they are the same colour as the body. In the third instar, there is a white to pink saddlemark on the 4th segment. In the fourth and fifth instars, the ground colour is ashy grey to brown, the saddlemark on the 4th segment is white and the tubercles on the 4th segment are white. There may be saddlemarks on the 5th segment and the 6th segment. The tips of the tubercle are black and the

osmeterium The osmeterium is a defensive organ found in all papilionid larvae, in all stages. The organ is situated in the prothoracic segment and can be everted when the larva feels threatened. The everted organ resembles a fleshy forked tongue (not unlik ...

is dark red. Pupa: The pupa is yellowish green or brown and is marked with greyish veins as in a leaf. It may have a broad dorsal pale saddle mark. The abdomen has eight pairs of sharp dorsal processes, directed laterally.

Variation

''Ornithoptera priamus'' is a variable species. It was originally described from

Seram Island Seram (formerly spelled Ceram; also Seran or Serang) is the largest and main island of Maluku province of Indonesia, despite Ambon Island's historical importance. It is located just north of the smaller Ambon Island and a few other adjacent is ...

of Indonesia. As in other species of the

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

''Ornithoptera'', the females are larger and less vividly coloured than the males, them being mainly blackish or dark brown with patterns in pale brown, yellow or white. Nonetheless, females are extremely variable, and they may have colour patterns similar to females of other ''Ornithoptera'' species. In males, iridescent areas of the wing are typically green, although some subspecies

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 ...

to island groups east of New Guinea have blue males. These subspecies are ''O. p. urvilleanus'' ( New Ireland, Bougainville, and Solomon Islands), ''O. p. miokensis'' (Mioko Island), and ''O. p. caelestis'' (

Louisiade Archipelago The Louisiade Archipelago is a string of ten larger volcanic islands frequently fringed by coral reefs, and 90 smaller coral islands in Papua New Guinea. It is located 200 km southeast of New Guinea, stretching over more than and spread ...

). However, it is likely that ''O. p. miokensis'' is actually a hybrid between ''O. p. urvillianus'' and ''O. p. bornemanni'' from the neighbouring islands of

New Britain New Britain ( tpi, Niu Briten) is the largest island in the Bismarck Archipelago, part of the Islands Region of Papua New Guinea. It is separated from New Guinea by a northwest corner of the Solomon Sea (or with an island hop of Umboi the Dam ...

and Bougainville. Specimens of this subspecies are variable, and can be identical to specimens of either parent, or intermediates. Immigration may also explain its rarity, as Mioko is a small island and, as of 2001, its host plants had been reduced to a few '' Aristolochia tagala'' vines growing in a local village. Several species currently recognised as distinct have previously been considered subspecies of ''O. priamus'' by different authors. These are: '' O. aesacus'',Parsons, M.J. (1996). A phylogenetic reappraisal of the birdwing genus ''Ornithoptera'' (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae: Troidini) and Papilionidae: Troidini) and a new theory of its evolution in relation to Gondwanan vicariance biogeography. ''Journal of Natural History'' 30(11):1707-1736. '' O. croesus'', '' O. euphorion'', and '' O. richmondia''. The last two are still regarded as subspecies of ''O. priamus'' by some.

Subspecies

There have been as many as 99

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

described (most of which are

synonyms A synonym is a word, morpheme, or phrase that means exactly or nearly the same as another word, morpheme, or phrase in a given language. For example, in the English language, the words ''begin'', ''start'', ''commence'', and ''initiate'' are all ...

of ''O. p. poseidon''), with many more named variants and forms described for both sexes. Some list as few as six subspecies (including

nominate Nomination is part of the process of selecting a candidate for either election to a public office, or the bestowing of an honor or award. A collection of nominees narrowed from the full list of candidates is a short list. Political office In the ...

),EntomID-PNG Specimen Database
/ref> but a

taxonomic Taxonomy is the practice and science of categorization or classification. A taxonomy (or taxonomical classification) is a scheme of classification, especially a hierarchical classification, in which things are organized into groups or types. ...

review is needed and most recognise more: *''Ornithoptera priamus admiralitatis'' –

Admiralty Islands The Admiralty Islands are an archipelago group of 18 islands in the Bismarck Archipelago, to the north of New Guinea in the South Pacific Ocean. These are also sometimes called the Manus Islands, after the largest island. These rainforest-co ...

and nearby smaller islands, Papua New Guinea *''Ornithoptera priamus albiro'' –

Tayandu Islands The Tayandu or Tayando Islands (Indonesian: ''Kepulauan Tayando'') are a group of low-lying islands just west of the larger Kai Islands of Maluku, Indonesia. The main group consists of Tayando (with villages Yamru and Ohoiel), Walir, Heniar (wi ...

, Indonesia (may be

junior synonym The Botanical and Zoological Codes of nomenclature treat the concept of synonymy differently. * In botanical nomenclature, a synonym is a scientific name that applies to a taxon that (now) goes by a different scientific name. For example, Linna ...

of ''O. p. hecuba'') *''Ornithoptera priamus arruana'' –

Aru Islands The Aru Islands Regency ( id, Kabupaten Kepulauan Aru) is a group of about 95 low-lying islands in the Maluku Islands of eastern Indonesia. It also forms a regency of Maluku Province, with a land area of . At the 2011 Census the Regency had a po ...

, Indonesia *''Ornithoptera priamus aureus'' –

Arfak Mountains The Arfak Mountains is a mountain range found on the Bird's Head Peninsula in the Province of West Papua, Indonesia. The term "arfak" came from the language of the coastal Biak people, meaning "inferior." This is due to how big the mountains ar ...

of West Papua, Indonesia (may be junior synonym of ''O. p. poseidon'') *''Ornithoptera priamus boisduvali'' –

Woodlark Island Woodlark Island, known to its inhabitants simply as Woodlark or Muyua, is the main island of the Woodlark Islands archipelago, located in Milne Bay Province and the Solomon Sea, Papua New Guinea. Although no formal census has been conducted sinc ...

, Papua New Guinea *''Ornithoptera priamus bornemanni'' –

and nearby smaller islands, Papua New Guinea *''Ornithoptera priamus caelestis'' –

, Papua New Guinea *''Ornithoptera priamus demophanes'' –

D'Entrecasteaux Antoine Raymond Joseph de Bruni, chevalier d'Entrecasteaux () (8 November 1737 – 21 July 1793) was a French naval officer, explorer and colonial governor. He is perhaps best known for his exploration of the Australian coast in 1792, while ...

and

Trobriand Islands The Trobriand Islands are a archipelago of coral atolls off the east coast of New Guinea. They are part of the nation of Papua New Guinea and are in Milne Bay Province. Most of the population of 12,000 indigenous inhabitants live on the main isla ...

, Papua New Guinea *''Ornithoptera priamus garainaensis'' – vicinity of Garaina, Papua New Guinea? (may be junior synonym of ''O. p. poseidon'') *''Ornithoptera priamus gebeensis'' – Gebe Island, Indonesia *''Ornithoptera priamus hecuba'' –

Kai Islands The Kai Islands (also Kei Islands) of Indonesia are a group of islands in the southeastern part of the Maluku Islands, located in the province of Maluku (province), Maluku. The Moluccas have been known as the Spice Islands due to regionally sp ...

, Indonesia *''Ornithoptera priamus impensis'' –

Manipa Island Manipa Island is an island in West Seram Regency, Maluku Province, Indonesia. It is located 8 km off the western coast of Kelang at the western end of Seram Island and 25 km off the western coast of Buru. Including adjacent small island ...

, Indonesia *''Ornithoptera priamus kassandra'' –

Yapen Island Yapen (also Japan, Jobi) is an island of Papua, Indonesia. The Yapen Strait separates Yapen and the Biak Islands to the north. It is in Cenderawasih Bay off the north-western coast of the island of New Guinea. To the west is Mios Num Island a ...

of West Papua, Indonesia *''Ornithoptera priamus macalpinei'' –

Iron Iron () is a chemical element with symbol Fe (from la, ferrum) and atomic number 26. It is a metal that belongs to the first transition series and group 8 of the periodic table. It is, by mass, the most common element on Earth, right in f ...

and

McIlwraith Range The McIlwraith Range is a rugged, dissected granite plateau on Cape York Peninsula of Far North Queensland, Australia. Part of the Great Dividing Range, the McIlwraith Range covers about and lies about east of the town of Coen, and north ...

s of

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_ ...

, Australia (may be junior synonym of ''O. p. poseidon'') *''Ornithoptera priamus miokensis'' –

Mioko Island Mioko is a populated island in the Duke of York Islands archipelago in Papua New Guinea.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 ...

and northern

Torres Strait Islands The Torres Strait Islands are a group of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait, a waterway separating far northern continental Australia's Cape York Peninsula and the island of New Guinea. They span an area of , but their total land ...

*''Ornithoptera priamus priamus'' –

Seram Seram (formerly spelled Ceram; also Seran or Serang) is the largest and main island of Maluku province of Indonesia, despite Ambon Island's historical importance. It is located just north of the smaller Ambon Island and a few other adjacent is ...

Saparua Saparua is an island east of Ambon Island in the Indonesian province of Maluku; the island of Haruku lies between Saparua and Ambon. The main port is in the south at Kota Saparua. The island of Maolana is located near its southwestern side and ...

and

Ambon Ambon may refer to: Places * Ambon Island, an island in Indonesia ** Ambon, Maluku, a city on Ambon Island, the capital of Maluku province ** Governorate of Ambon, a colony of the Dutch East India Company from 1605 to 1796 * Ambon, Morbihan, a c ...

, Indonesia *''Ornithoptera priamus pronomus'' – southern Torres Strait Islands of Queensland, Australia (may be junior synonym of ''O. p. poseidon'') *''Ornithoptera priamus sterrensis'' – Mt. Sterren of West Papua, Indonesia (possible junior synonym of ''O. p. poseidon'') *''Ornithoptera priamus teucrus'' –

Biak Biak is an island located in Cenderawasih Bay near the northern coast of Papua (province), Papua, an Indonesian province, and is just northwest of New Guinea. Biak is the largest island in its small archipelago, and has many atolls, reefs, and c ...

and Supiori of West Papua, Indonesia *''Ornithoptera priamus wituensis'' –

Vitu Islands The Vitu Islands are a volcanic group with an area of 37 sq mi (96 km²) located in the Bismarck Sea off New Britain, in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. They are not technically part of the Bismarck Archipelago. Administratively they are ...

, Papua New Guinea (may be junior synonym of ''O. p. bornemanni'') *''Ornithoptera priamus urvillianus'' – New Ireland and Bougainville, Papua New Guinea, and

Conservation

Overall this species remains widespread, but some subspecies are threatened by habitat destruction, with those endemic to smaller islands (e.g. ''O. p. miokensis'' and ''O. p. boisduvali'') of greatest conservation concern. Like all birdwing butterflies, ''O. priamus'' is listed on

CITES CITES (shorter name for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the Washington Convention) is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals from the threats of interna ...

appendix II,CITES (2011).
Appendices I, II and III.
' Version 27 April 2011. which restricts international export to those in possession of a permit.

Gallery

Bibliography

*D'Abrera, B. (1975). ''Birdwing Butterflies of the World''. Country Life Books, London. * *Haugum, J. & Low, A.M. (1978-1985). ''A Monograph of the Birdwing Butterflies''. 2 volumes. Scandinavian Press, Klampenborg. 663 pp. *Heidelberger, D., and J. B. Heppner. (1999). ''Ornithoptera priamus'' biology in Queensland, Australia Lepidoptera: Papilionidae). ''Tropical Lepidoptera'' 10(1):3
Life cycle images
*Von Knötgen, B. (1997) “Ornithoptera: Ornithoptera, Schoenbergia, Aetheoptera”. MGG Verlag, 1997. Parallel text in German, English and French. *Straatman, R. (1969). Notes on the biology and hostplant associations of Ornithoptera priamus urvilleanus and O. victoriae (Papilionidae) ''Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society'' 23:69-76

References

External links

* *
Butterflycorner
Images from Naturhistorisches Museum, Naturhistorisches Museum Wien *

Consortium for the Barcode of Life The Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) was an international initiative dedicated to supporting the development of DNA barcoding as a global standard for species identification. CBOL's Secretariat Office is hosted by the National Museum of ...

br>''priamus'' at Barcode of Life
*

br>''priamus poseidon'' at Barcode of Life
Images of ''poseidon'', ''priamus'' (nominate), ''teucrus'', ''admiralitatus'', ''caelestis'', ''urvilleanus''
Australasia ecoregions
{{Taxonbar, from=Q148013

priamus In Greek mythology, Priam (; grc-gre, Πρίαμος, ) was the legendary and last king of Troy during the Trojan War. He was the son of Laomedon. His many children included notable characters such as Hector, Paris, and Cassandra. Etymology Mo ...

Butterflies of Oceania Butterflies of Australia Butterflies of Indonesia Lepidoptera of New Guinea Lepidoptera of Papua New Guinea Insects of the Solomon Islands Fauna of the Maluku Islands Butterflies described in 1758 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus