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 The wingspan of the female can measure 180mm. The smaller male butterfly has green wings with black markings, while the female has black wings with yellow and white markings. The abdomen of both the male and the female is yellow and the thorax is red.
The caterpillar or ‘larva’, is black and features short spines along the upper surface of the thorax and abdomen. The spines are red or pink in the intermediate sections. The head of the larva has a white mark. A full-grown caterpillar may have a purple tinge in its colouring and can grow to a length of 90mm.
The pupa or ‘chrysalis’, is typically grey-yellow or golden.
The Cairns Birdwing Butterfly is one of 14 subspecies of Birdwing. Birdwing Butterflies are found in north-east Australia, the Moluccas Islands, New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. New Guinea is home to the largest known butterfly on Earth, the Queen Alexandra's Birdwing (Troides alexandrae) whose wingspan can reach 280 mm.
After mating the female Cairns Birdwing seeks a suitable plant on which to lay her eggs. Hatching may occur within 5 -10 days, depending on the temperature. As the caterpillar grows it passes through a series of moults in which the outer skin or ‘cuticula’, is shed. Before commencing the final moult (usually the fifth) the caterpillar uses saliva to form a silk pad on the underside of a branch, and a 'girdle' that supports its head as it hangs below the branch. The lower portion of the abdomen is fixed to the silk pad by a network of tiny hooks called the 'cremaster'. The final moult commences the pupal stage.
The butterfly emerges from the chrysalis approximately one month after pupation has commenced, although this period is quite variable.
The adult Cairns Birdwing Butterfly lives for 4-5 weeks, during which mating may occur. The coupling of the male and female can last for up to 36 hours.
The Cairns Birdwing Butterfly lives in tropical rainforests between Mackay and Cooktown in north-east Queensland, Australia. It is most often seen flying in the canopy of the rainforest.
The larvae of the Cairns Birdwing feed on a species of the Aristolochia climber, A. tagala, which is also known as Dutchman's Pipe. Unfortunately, the larvae also feed on a similar introduced species, Aristolochia elegans, which is toxic, and this leads to the death of the larvae.
The newly-hatched caterpillar eats the shell of the egg from which it has emerged and may feed on the cast skins of other larvae. Episodes of cannibalism have been observed amongst the larvae.
The adult butterfly feeds on nectar from flowering plants that grow in the rainforest.
The destruction of tropical rainforest has led to a decline in the population of the Cairns Birdwing Butterfly and it is now a protected species.
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Animal Fact Sheets - Want to learn more about some of Australasia's unique fauna? Take a look at these fact sheets. Great for school projects! |
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