Queen Alexandra's Birdwing
The male Queen Alexandra Birdwing can be called the king of butterflies. Its huge wings with a span of 170-200 mm shine with green and blue colors. The wings are narrower than those of other birdwings and resemble the leaves of a tropical plant.
The female is significantly different from the male. It is much larger: the span of its huge wings reaches 280 mm - this is more than that of any other day butterfly. But in brightness and beauty she is inferior to the male: on her wide dark brown wings there is a light ornament of cream and yellowish “strokes” of various shapes. The peculiar pattern of the underside of the wings with contrasting wide darkening along the veins allows one to immediately distinguish the female Queen Alexandra birdwing from other birdwing species.
The caterpillar of this species of butterfly is velvety black with a longitudinal cream stripe and reaches a length of 12 cm, and the pupa reaches 9 cm (with a diameter of 8 cm). The Queen Alexandra birdwing caterpillar, like other ornithopterans, feeds on leaves various types Aristolochia vines, which is why these butterflies are sometimes called Aristolochia birdwings. Butterflies live for about three months. This ornithoptera has few natural enemies. A much greater threat to the species is the cutting down of forests and plantations of coconut palms, cocoa and rubber trees, replacing their natural habitats.
Habitat limited: isolated areas of tropical rainforest in the Popondetta Valley (Papua - New Guinea). Only there is Diels's kirkazon found - the only plant from the kirkazonaceae family on which Alexandra females lay eggs. Previously, the wonderful birdwing was also found in the mountains - in the northern part of the Owen-Stanley Range. When choosing a plant for laying eggs, the butterfly is extremely picky, while caterpillars are not so picky. Studies have shown that they can also feed on the leaves of other kirkazona plants. The complete development cycle from egg to butterfly takes more than four months.
downloadAbstract on the topic:
Queen Alexandra's Birdwing
Plan:
- Introduction
- 1 Spreading
- 2 Description
- 3 Reproduction
- 4 Security Notes Notes
Introduction
Queen Alexandra's Birdwing or Queen Alexandra's birdwing or Ornithoptera Queen Alexandra(Ornithoptera alexandrae Rothschild, 1907) - the largest diurnal butterfly in the world, belongs to the swallowtail family ( Papilionidae).
The first European to discover this butterfly species was the collector Albert Stuart Meek in 1906. In 1907, banker and butterfly collector Lord Walter Rothschild named the species in honor of Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII of Great Britain.
1. Distribution
The butterfly is found in a limited range - in humid tropical forests Papua New Guinea in the Popondetta Mountains region. The species belongs to the category Endangered(endangered taxon) according to the IUCN classification. The eruption of Mount Lamington in 1951 destroyed about 250 km² of the butterfly's natural habitat, which is the main reason for its rare distribution. Also due to the sharp decline in the number of butterflies of this species due to deforestation under the CITES agreement, the species Ornithoptera alexandrae was included in the list of prohibited animals.
2. Description
The closest specimen is a male, the far one is a female
Females of Alexandra's birdwing are larger than males, the span of their rounded wings reaches 28 cm. The length of the abdomen is 8 cm, weight - up to 12 grams. The color of the wings and abdomen is dark brown with white, cream and yellow ornament. Males are smaller than females, their wingspan is up to 20 cm. Sexual dimorphism is pronounced - males are very different in appearance from females, their wings are narrower, colored blue and green.
3. Reproduction
The butterfly development cycle lasts four months. The adult lives for three months. Food plants for caterpillars - Aristolochia Diels ( Aristolochia dielsiana) and Schechter's aristolochia ( Aristolochia schlechteri) . The caterpillars grow up to 12 cm in length and 3 cm in thickness.
4. Security Notes
Listed as lepidoptera whose export, re-export and import are regulated under the Convention on International Trade in Species wild fauna and endangered flora (CITES).
Notes
- 1 2 3 4 L. V. Kaabak, A. V. Sochivko Butterflies of the world / G. Wilczek. - Moscow: Avanta+, 2003. - P. 86. - 184 p. - (The most beautiful and famous). - 10,000 copies. - ISBN 5-94623-008-5, ISBN 5-98986-071-4
- 1 2 3 V. Landman Butterflies. Illustrated encyclopedia / scientific. reviewer Divakova S.V. - Moscow: Labyrinth Press, 2002. - P. 71. - 272 p. - (Illustrated Encyclopedia). - ISBN 5-9287-0274-4
- Kravchuk P. A. Records of nature. - L.: Erudite, 1993. - 216 p. - 60,000 copies. - ISBN 5-7707-2044-1
- Ornithoptera alexandrae- www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/15513/: information on the IUCN Red List website (English)
- N. Mark Collins, Michael G. Morris Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World: The IUCN Red Data Book - books.google.co.uk/books?id=RomV7uO_t9YC&pg=PA288&vq=Ornithoptera alexandrae&dq=Ornithoptera alexandrae&lr=&as_brr=3&hl=ru&source=gbs_search_s&sig=R14iNU6hDDUnvQ gDq5BWClhgZgU. - IUCN, 1985. - P. 288. - 401 p. - ISBN 2880326036
This abstract is based on an article from Russian Wikipedia. Synchronization completed 07/11/11 13:36:58
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PETLYAKOV ROMAN GOU SCHOOL NO. 163 CITY MOSCOW.2 CLASS.
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2nd GRADE.
PETLYAKOV ROMAN MAKSIMOVICH.
GOU secondary school No. 163
MOSCOW CITY.
Research on the topic of:
"Unusual insects."
Queen Alexandra's Birdwing.
In my research work I want to talk about an unusual insect, the Queen Alexandra Ornithoptera butterfly (Ornithoptera alexandrae). Using the example of the history of these photographs, I want to outline Interesting Facts about this insect. The uniqueness of this species lies in its size, beauty, habitat and significance for flora and fauna.
For many years, Bernard d'Abrera photographed rare and unusual tropical butterflies for books and magazines. His albums of photographs of butterflies have become a valuable tool for scientists. In search of insects famous for their rare beauty or enormous size, the photographer traveled to his native Australia, the countries of South Asia, New Guinea and everywhere filmed, filmed, filmed...
D'Abrera's rich collection of photographs was missing one photograph of the world's largest butterfly, Ornithoptera Queen Alexandra.
Going to the wilds of New Guinea, R "Abrera did not count too much on success. He knew that this butterfly was very rare, careful, that no one had ever been able to photograph it in nature. The photographer went through in his memory everything he had heard or read about its extraordinary nature .
Ornitaptera translated from ancient Greek means “bird wing”. Queen Alexandra's Birdwing or Queen Alexandra's Ornithoptera is the largest diurnal butterfly in the world and belongs to the swallowtail family. Females of Alexandra's birdwing are larger than males, the span of their rounded wings reaches 28 cm. The length of the abdomen is 8 cm, weight - up to 12 grams. The color of the wings and abdomen is dark brown with white, cream and yellow ornaments. Males are smaller than females, their wingspan is up to 20 cm. Males are very different in appearance from females, their wings are narrower, colored blue and green. The butterfly development cycle lasts four months. The adult lives for three months. The caterpillars grow up to 12 cm in length and 3 cm in thickness. There are many different species of these unusual butterflies in the tropics, and all of them are distinguished by their impressive sizes: 15 - 18 centimeters in wingspan. For this they were called birdwings. But one day, in the jungles of New Guinea, one specimen of a new species of Ornithoptera, still unknown to scientists, was accidentally caught. The new species was given the name Alexandra, in honor of the beautiful Queen of England, wife of King Edward VII of Great Britain. Indeed, this butterfly looked like a queen among bird wings - its wingspan reached 20 centimeters. The only specimen that fell into the hands of scientists turned out to be a male. But it is known that Ornithopter males are always much smaller than females. What kind of giant of the insect world must the female of this hitherto unseen butterfly be? They looked for her, climbed into the very depths of the jungle, asked local residents - and all to no avail.
Years passed. In 1906, insect collector A.S. Mick, a determined and cold-blooded man, wandered around New Guinea. In those years, few travelers dared to visit this uncharted land. Mick climbed into the very heart of New Guinea, where no European had ever set foot. One day he was sitting by a tent near a small river, putting in order the insects he had collected during the day, and suddenly he accidentally looked up. High, high in the gap between the tops of giant trees, some kind of bird flashed. No, not a bird - an insect of unprecedented size. It was not for nothing that Mick was considered a decisive man: he quickly loaded the gun with the smallest shot, fired, and a huge butterfly, almost intact, fell at his feet. 28 centimeters in wingspan. Mick immediately realized that the butterfly he had shot was a hitherto unknown female of the legendary Ornithoptera Alexandra.
Over the years, scientific expeditions increasingly visited the New Guinea jungle. Gradually, we managed to collect information about the habitats of the queen butterfly. It turned out that Alexander's birdwing settles only in a few gorges along the rivers in the east of New Guinea, and even there it is never found in large numbers. Flowers called aristolochia, on the nectar of which it feeds, bloom high in the treetops, and the butterfly has no reason to descend, so it is very difficult to catch it.
Then scientists enlisted the help of local residents - the Papuans, and soon the most famous museums were enriched with specimens of the world's largest species of butterflies. If only there were museums! Queen Alexandra became interested in people who thought a pile of hundred dollar bills was much more beautiful than any of the most beautiful creatures of nature. Buying butterflies from the Papuans for pennies, they resold them for hundreds and thousands of pounds sterling to wealthy collectors of rarities. The living jewel appeared at auctions and in the shops of curiosities dealers in the cities of Europe, America, and Japan. In order not to waste energy on a dizzying hunt for butterflies, poachers have become adept at collecting pupae and caterpillars ready for pupation and hatching butterflies from them for sale. And why did they care that nature was about to lose one of its best decorations, that soon the greatest and most beautiful butterfly in the world would be remembered only by museum specimens faded with time?
The authorities took the Queen Alexandra birdwing under protection; the capture and export of giant butterflies was strictly prohibited. But the few surviving individuals were threatened with a new disaster - the destruction of forests. The eruption of Mount Lamington in 1951 destroyed about 250 square kilometers. km of natural habitat for this species of butterfly, which is the main reason for their rare distribution. Alexandra caterpillars feed on the leaves of only one type of plant. This plant makes the eggs that this butterfly lays poisonous. The caterpillars that subsequently appear have a chance to avoid the fate of being eaten, since they have a very unpleasant taste for birds and many other predators.
The famous entomologist Richard Carver hastened to the aid of the queen of butterflies. With the greatest difficulty, having collected a small number of caterpillars and pupae, he delivered them to the most remote corners of the island, inaccessible to either lumberjacks, unceremonious tourists, or poachers - butterfly hunters. Of course, Aristolochia, a common food for caterpillars, grows in abundance in these parts. Where are these protected places How to get there is the secret of New Guinean zoologists.
All this was well known to Bernard d'Abrera, so he did not believe too much in luck. He did not believe too much, but did not lose hope. D'Abrera managed to find Aristolochia. Carefully examining each leaf, he spent a long time looking for caterpillars familiar from the descriptions and drawings, but they were nowhere to be found. Of course, there were no butterflies.
Then the photographer began asking local residents. But they either knew nothing about the bird-wing Alexander, or remained silent with a mysterious look. But the photographer felt that some of them knew something. He swore that he did not need Queen Alexandra herself, but a photograph of her, that he was a friend of nature and would keep it a secret where the butterfly lived, he asked, assured, insisted, convinced. And he convinced.
One morning, just before dawn, an unusual procession pulled into the forest: a photographer hung with equipment and his new friends. Our shirts were wet from sweat, millions of mosquitoes got into our eyes, ears, nostrils, got tangled in our hair, and monstrous three-centimeter ants fell from the leaves and bit us painfully. And all this torment for the sake of Alexandra’s birdwing! When their strength was running out, D'Abrera's companions stopped. And at that very moment the photographer saw a velvety-black caterpillar resembling a small snake on an Aristolochia leaf. One, two, three... Then the pupae of Queen Alexandra began to come across. D'Abrera diligently photographed caterpillars and pupae. His experienced eye immediately noticed that one of the pupae looked as if a butterfly was about to emerge from it. But dusk was gathering. Because of the rabid mosquitoes and mosquitoes, it was impossible to spend the night in the jungle, so D'Abrera and his companions decided to come here tomorrow.
The next morning, making his way through the thicket, D'Abrera no longer paid attention to mosquitoes or evil ants. He imagined how he would capture on film the birth of the greatest butterfly in the world.
This is the treasured place. We were late: the chrysalis is empty. But no. Not far away, proudly spreading her mighty black-blue wings with snow-white spots, sat the newly born queen of butterflies. Click and rare photo made. The giant wings of Queen Alexandra trembled, the antennae moved - and the butterfly rose into the air. She flew slowly and majestically, as befits a queen. As if wanting to capture the imagination of people, Alexandra’s birdwing described a solemn circle in the air above their heads, then sharply soared up and disappeared. Silently, D'Abrera and his friends watched her with admiration. D'Abrera knew that there was nothing to dream about a portrait of the king, males are much less common than females, they are shy and live especially secretively.
He returned to Port Moresby to fly home to Australia. The photographer had little time left and decided to take a walk along the suburban highway.
Bougainvillea trees planted along the roadside, covered in deep pink flowers, separated the highway from the coffee plantations. As usual, bright butterflies swarmed around the flowers. And suddenly d'Abrera noticed an unusually large one among them. The photographer's hands reached out to the camera. But the mysterious butterfly was circling too high, at the very top of a twelve-meter tree.
Suddenly, some other butterfly, the most ordinary one, stunned by the heat, or perhaps intoxicated by flower nectar, for no apparent reason rushed towards the mysterious stranger and danced around him. He clearly didn't like this familiarity. He glided down steeply and landed on bougainvillea flowers very close to the photographer. Under the weight of the giant, the branch strewn with flowers trembled and sank low.
Yes, it was the king of butterflies. His golden-green wings, lined with black lines, sparkled like ancient brocade. D" Abrera was filming feverishly.
What else can you add? Photos of Queen Alexandra's Birdwing appeared in print. Now everyone can admire them. It’s not for nothing that d’Abrera’s photographs are called the most famous photographs of the century. It won’t be long until someone else has the good fortune to photograph this living miracle. After all, d’Abrera kept his word to his friends: having described in detail his meeting with the queen, the place where this meeting took place, and the road to it the photographer kept it a secret.
In conclusion of this work, I would like to note that this type classified as endangered, listed as Lepidoptera, the export, re-export and import of which is regulated in accordance with the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora. Also, due to a sharp decline in the number of butterflies of this species due to deforestation, the species Ornithoptera alexandrae was included in the list of animals prohibited from catching. Thus, this species of butterfly is recognized as unique and endangered. It is necessary to preserve the natural pristineness of our planet and protect the beauty of the surrounding world!
Picture 1 . Queen Alexandra's Birdwing habitat.
Figure 2. Female and male.
3. Queen Alexandra's birdwing pupa.
Figure 5. Papuan and Queen Alexandra's birdwing.
Figure 6. Queen Alexandra's Birdwing.
Figure 7. Queen Alexandra's Birdwing.
Bibliography.
1.L. V. Kaabak, A. V. Sochivko Butterflies of the world / G. Wilczek. - Moscow: Avanta+, 2003. - P. 86. - 184 p. - (The most beautiful and famous). - 10,000 copies. -
2.V. Landman Butterflies. Illustrated encyclopedia / scientific. reviewer Divakova S.V. - Moscow: Labyrinth Press, 2002. - P. 71. - 272 p. - (Illustrated Encyclopedia).
3. Ornithoptera alexandrae: information on the Red Book website.
Butterflies are rightfully considered one of the most beautiful inhabitants of our planet. But the fluttering beauties of our country cannot be compared with the giant butterflies that live in southern countries. We offer you to see what the largest representatives of the Lepidoptera order look like and where they live.
Tizania Agrippina
Tizania Agrippina
This nocturnal moth, called Thysania agrippina, or Agrippina cutworm, lives in the tropical rainforests of South and Central America. The largest of known to science representatives of this species were caught in Brazil, and its wingspan reached 29.8 centimeters.
Tizania Agrippina Queen Alexandra's Birdwing
Queen Alexandra's Birdwing, male
A butterfly called Queen Alexandra's birdwing, or Queen Alexandra's ornithopter (lat. Ornithoptera alexandrae) is the largest day butterfly in the world. These butterflies live only on the island of New Guinea and, unfortunately, are so rare that they are even listed in the International Red Book as an endangered species. The wingspan of this butterfly reaches 27 centimeters, and males and females differ significantly in the color and shape of their wings.
Queen Alexandra's Birdwing: male above, female below Peacock-eye hercules
Peacock-eye Hercules, male The Hercules peacock-eye, or Coscinocera hercules (lat. Coscinocera hercules), is also a nocturnal butterfly and lives in Australia and Papua New Guinea. The wingspan of this beauty reaches 26-27 centimeters, and the caterpillars grow up to 10 centimeters in length. In this species, females and males also have different colors and wing shapes.
Peacock eye atlas
Peacock eye atlas
Another giant butterfly from the peacock-eye family is the atlas peacock-eye (lat. Attacus atlas). They live in tropical and subtropical forests of Southeast Asia, and their wingspan reaches 24 centimeters. It is noteworthy that adult butterflies do not feed and live off the nutrients accumulated by the caterpillar. Females and males differ somewhat from each other in the color and shape of their wings.
Sailboat antimah
Sailboat antimah This bright leopard-colored butterfly is native to equatorial and tropical regions of Africa and is the continent's largest butterfly. The sailboat antimachus (lat. Papilio antimachus) has a wingspan of up to 23-25 centimeters and is active during the daytime.
Ornithoptera goliath
Ornithoptera goliath: male above, female below
Ornithoptera goliath, or bird-winged goliath (lat. Ornithoptera goliath), measures up to 20-22 centimeters and lives on the islands of Southeast Asia. Due to their island distribution, several subspecies are distinguished among them, which differ in nuances of color.
Troides Hippolytus
Troides hippolytus: male above, female below Females of the species Troides hypolitus (lat. Troides hypolitus) are larger than males, and their wingspan reaches 20 centimeters. These butterflies live in the forests of Sulawesi and the Maluku Islands.
Trogonoptera trojan
Trogonoptera trojana, male
Another beauty that ranks 8th on our list of giants is Trogonoptera trojana. A very rare butterfly that lives only on the island of Palawan (Philippines). The wingspan of this species reaches 17-19 centimeters. Males are smaller in size, but their color is brighter.
Ornithoptera cresus
Ornithoptera Croesus, maleA very bright daytime butterfly with a contrasting orange-black color lives in Indonesia and the islands of the Moluccas archipelago. Ornithoptera croesus (lat. Ornithoptera croesus) has a wingspan of 16-19 centimeters, while females are larger than males.
Madagascar comet
Madagascar comet A very original, brightly colored nocturnal butterfly that lives exclusively in the humid forests of Madagascar. The Madagascar comet (lat. Argema mittrei) is so named for the unusual shape of its lower wings. The wingspan of this beauty, whose image appears on the Madagascar 5,000 Malagasy franc banknote, reaches 14-18 centimeters.
Queen Alexandra's Birdwing.
Kingdom: animals (Animalia).
Phylum: arthropods (Arthropoda).
Class: insects (Insecta).
Order: Lepidoptera (Lepidoptera).
Family: sailboats (Papilionidae).
Genus: ornithoptera (Ornithoptera).
Species: Queen Alexandra's Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae).
Translated from ancient Greek, “ornithoptera” means “bird wing”. The butterfly received its name in 1907 thanks to Lord Walter Rothschild. He named it in honor of Edward VII's wife Alexandra of Denmark, Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and Empress of India.
Habitats
Currently, the species lives in a strictly limited range in the southeast of Papua New Guinea. It is found at an altitude of 155 m above sea level in coastal lowland forests and small gorges along the rivers of Oro Province near the Popondetta Valley. The butterfly prefers to spend most of its life in the crowns and tops of trees, occasionally descending to the ground. Previously, the birdwing was found even in the mountains - in the northern part of the Owen-Stanley Range. It was there in January 1906, at an altitude of about 1,700 m above sea level, that Albert Stuart Meek, assistant to banker and entomologist Walter Rothschild, first caught a female of this species.
Appearance
Queen Alexandra's birdwing, or ornithoptera, is the largest daytime butterfly on earth. Sexual dimorphism is extremely pronounced - sometimes it is difficult to believe that a female and a male belong to the same species. The females are large: with a body length of 8 cm, the span of their rounded wings reaches 28 cm. The wings and abdomen are colored dark brown with white, cream or yellow splashes. The underside of the wings has an original pattern with contrasting wide shading along the veins - this is what makes it possible to distinguish the female of this species from other ornithopteran species. The weight of the butterfly can reach 12 g. Males are smaller than females. Their wings, with the finest shades of blue and green, are lined with black lines. Similar to antique brocade and narrower than other ornithopteras, they resemble the petals of an exotic tropical flower. The span reaches 17–20 cm.
Lifestyle and biology
The butterfly development cycle lasts four months. An adult lives no more than three months. Throughout their lives, females lay 27 bright blue eggs, from which caterpillars then hatch. They have a velvety black color and a longitudinal cream stripe, reaching 12 cm in length. They feed first on the shell of their own egg, and then on the leaves of various types of Aristolochia vine (Aristolochia spp.), which contain poisonous acids that are fatal to vertebrates. By accumulating these substances, the caterpillar acquires a taste that is unpleasant for birds and many other predators, which allows it to protect itself. The butterfly pupa is golden yellow or reddish brown with black spots. Its length is 9 cm, thickness is about 3 cm. It takes about six weeks from the egg stage to the formation of the pupa; the transformation of the pupa into an adult takes about a month or even more. An adult butterfly usually appears at dawn, when the air humidity is even higher. Before the sun rises high and becomes much hotter and drier, the insect has time to fully spread its wings. Adults feed mainly on large flowers, such as hibiscus. They fly well and are most active early in the morning or at dusk.
Listed in the Red Book
Previously, Queen Alexandra's birdwing lived in almost the entire eastern part of the island of New Guinea. The reason for the rare distribution of the species was a sharp reduction in its natural habitat. In 1951, the eruption of Mount Lamington destroyed about 250 km2 of the main habitat of this amazing butterfly, which significantly affected its numbers. The cutting down of tropical rainforests to create oil palm plantations has also had a negative impact.
Papua New Guinea's wildlife conservation law in the 1970s prevented the insect's extinction but failed to stop poaching. Due to its great rarity, Queen Alexandra's Birdwing is still highly prized by collectors and fetches considerable money on the black market.
