Ornithoptera victoriae (Queen Victoria's Birdwing, Viktoria Vogelschwingenfalter)

Ornithoptera victoriae, also called Queen Victoria's Birdwing is a butterfly from Australasia / Indomalaya ecozone (Australia). The first description was in 1856 by Gray. The wingspan is about 15 – 18 cm. This butterfly is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE. Ornithoptera victoriae is black. It has large green areas and some golden spots on the wings. The females are brown and have some white and yellow spots.

Photos for easy identification

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

Here you can see some photos of Ornithoptera victoriae (Queen Victoria's Birdwing, Viktoria Vogelschwingenfalter) (male above / female below). Ornithoptera victoriae is a member of the family PAPILIONIDAE from Australasia / Indomalaya (Australia).

Description

The fore wings are black. Next to the wing tip there is a large , green spot. There is a green area around the thorax.
The underside of Ornithoptera victoriae is black. The green spot and the green area are combined. At the wing leading edge there is a large black spot. The veins are black.

The hind wings of Ornithoptera victorae are green. The edge of wing is black. At the outer edge there are three golden spots.
The underside is green. The veins are partly black. At the outer edge there are three golden spots. Between these golden spots there are black spots.

The body (abdomen) is yellowish or white. Head and thorax are black. The underside is a copy of upside.

Sex differences: The female covers the upper range of the wing-span. It is significant-larger than the male. The basic colour of the female is black or dark-brown. There are many white spots on the fore wings. Next to the thorax there are two yellow stripes. On the hind wings there are two chains of white marks. There is also one yellow spot. The underside is a copy from upside.

Distribution

Ornithoptera victoriae (Queen Victoria's Birdwing, Viktoria Vogelschwingenfalter) is a butterfly from the Australasia / Indomalaya (Australia) ecozone. The distribution is restricted on Solomon islands.

: This world map shows the ecozones in which this butterfly is distributed.

Larval food

Aristolochiaceae:

Aristolochia tagala

General information

The first description of this butterfly was in 1856 by Gray. There are seven subspecies.

Ornithoptera victoriae archeri [Calderara, 1984]
Ornithoptera victoriae epiphanes [Schmid, 1970]
Ornithoptera victoriae isabellae [Rothschild & Jordan, 1901]
Ornithoptera victoriae maramasikensis [Morita, 2000]
Ornithoptera victoriae reginae [Godman & Salvin, 1888]
Ornithoptera victoriae regis [Rothschild, 1895]
Ornithoptera victoriae rubianus [Rothschild, 1904]

Ornithoptera victoriae is, like all other Birdwings a true miracle of nature. This butterfly is strictly protected. It is listed in the appendix II from CITES.

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer Makroaufnahme Troides victoriae m (upside)

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer Makroaufnahme Troides victoriae m (upside)

Ornithoptera victoriae has an optical effect. At a diagonal point of view the wing will change its colour .

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

Here you can see the subspecies Ornithoptera victoriae epiphanes (male). The wingspan is about 15 cm.

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

Here you can see the subspecies Ornithoptera victoriae reginae (female). The wingspan is about 19 - 20 cm.

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer

Here you can see the subspecies Ornithoptera victoriae rubianus (male). The wingspan is about 15 cm.

Macro photos

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer macro photograph of Ornithoptera victoriae m (upside)

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer macro photograph of Ornithoptera victoriae m (upside)

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer macro photograph of Ornithoptera victoriae m (underside)

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer macro photograph of Ornithoptera victoriae f (underside)

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer macro photograph of Ornithoptera victoriae f (upside)

: Photo © by Naturhistorisches Museum Wien; Photographer Thomas Neubauer macro photograph of Ornithoptera victoriae f (upside)

Here you can see some macro photos of Ornithoptera victoriae.

Protection provisions / Red List

CITES: (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora):

-Appendix II- (Stand: 12.02.2008)
EU regulation on trading with species of wild Fauna and Flora:

-Appendix B- (Stand: 19.08.2005)
IUCN Red List of threatened species:

-no entry- (Stand: 2008)