''Troides oblongomaculatus'', the oblong-spotted birdwing, is a

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

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

and

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 ...

. ''T. oblongomaculatus'' is the only ''

Troides ''Troides'' is a genus of birdwing butterflies, comprising species found in the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, and Oceania. Species Twenty species are recognized: : subgenus: ''Ripponia'' ::* '' Troides hypolitus'' – Rippon's birdwin ...

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

found as far east as New Guinea. It has been assumed that the species originated in the

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 ...

and later penetrated into

Melanesia Melanesia (, ) is a subregion of Oceania in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It extends from Indonesia's New Guinea in the west to Fiji in the east, and includes the Arafura Sea. The region includes the four independent countries of Fiji, Va ...

. It is a common species, the larva of which feed on '' Aristolochia tagala''.

Subspecies

Nine

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 ...

are recognized.''Troides''
funet.fi These are: *''T. o. oblongomaculatus'' (Goeze, 1779) from Seram, Ambon, Saparua, Haruku, Seram Laut, Geser, Nusa Laut, Nusa Is. *''T. o. thestius'' (Staudinger, 1896) from Salaya Is. *''T. o. bouruensis'' (Wallace, 1865) from Buru Is., Sula Mangole *''T. o. asartia'' (Rothschild, 1908) from Seram Laut Is. *''T. o. bandensis'' Pagenstecher, 1904 from Banda Islands *''T. o. hanno'' Fruhstorfer, 1904 from Gorong Is., Watubela Is., Kasiui Is., Tiffoor *''T. o. papuensis'' (Wallace, 1865) from

*''T. o. ilonae'' Schäffler, 1999 from Yapen Is. *''T. o. cyclop'' Rumbucher & Schäffler, 2005 from Manipa Is., Kelang Is. File:Troides oblogomaculatus papuensis MHNT dos.jpg, Museum specimen, female, dorsal side File:Troides oblogomaculatus papuensis MHNT ventre.jpg, Museum specimen, female, ventral side File:Troides oblogomaculatus papuensis MHNT male.jpg, Museum specimen, male, dorsal side File:Troides oblogomaculatus papuensis MHNT male dos.jpg, Museum specimen, male, ventral side File:013748189 Troides oblongomaculatus papuensis dorsal larva.jpg, ''Troides oblongomaculatus papuensis'' larva, dorsal view File:013748189 Troides oblongomaculatus papuensis lateral larva.jpg, ''Troides oblongomaculatus papuensis'' larva, lateral view File:013748192 Troides oblongomaculatus papuensis dorsal pupa.jpg, ''Troides oblongomaculatus papuensis'' pupa, dorsal view File:013748192 Troides oblongomaculatus papuensis lateral pupa.jpg, ''Troides oblongomaculatus papuensis'' pupa, lateral view

Related species

''Troides oblongomaculatus'' is a member of the ''Troides helena''

species group In biology, a species complex is a group of closely related organisms that are so similar in appearance and other features that the boundaries between them are often unclear. The taxa in the complex may be able to hybridize readily with each oth ...

. The members of this

clade A clade (), also known as a monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that are monophyletic – that is, composed of a common ancestor and all its lineal descendants – on a phylogenetic tree. Rather than the English term, ...

are: *''

Troides helena ''Troides helena'', the common birdwing, is a butterfly belonging to the family Papilionidae. It is often found in the wildlife trade due to its popularity with butterfly collectors. The butterfly has seventeen subspecies. Description The ...

'' (Linnaeus, 1758) *''Troides oblongomaculatus'' (Goeze, 1779) * ''Troides'' × ''celebensis'' (Wallace, 1865)

References

*Parsons, M. 1983 Notes on the courtship of ''Troides oblongomaculatus papuensis'' (Papilionidae) in Papua New Guinea ''Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society'' 37:83-8
pdf
*Kurt Rumbucher and Oliver Schäffler, 2005 Part 21, Papilionidae XI. Troides IV. helena-group. in Erich Bauer and Thomas Frankenbach Eds. ''Butterflies of the World''. Keltern : Goecke & Evers

External links

Systematics and images Oblongomaculatus Lepidoptera of New Guinea Lepidoptera of Papua New Guinea Butterflies of Indonesia Fauna of the Maluku Islands Butterflies described in 1779 {{Papilionidae-stub