Rothschild's birdwing facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Rothschild's birdwing |
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| Ornithoptera rothschildi male, upperside | |
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The Rothschild's birdwing (Ornithoptera rothschildi) is a very large and beautiful butterfly. It belongs to a group called birdwing butterflies. You can only find this special butterfly in one place: the Arfak Mountains in Western New Guinea. When an animal or plant is found only in one specific area, we say it is endemic to that place.
Sometimes, what people thought was a different butterfly, Ornithoptera akakeae, is actually believed to be a natural mix. It's like a natural hybrid between the Rothschild's birdwing and another butterfly called Ornithoptera priamus poseidon.
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How It Was Discovered
This amazing butterfly was first noticed by a scientist named Charles Edgar Pratt. Another scientist, George Hamilton Kenrick, officially described it in 1911. He gave it the name Rothschild's birdwing.
The butterfly was named to honor Lord Walter Rothschild. He was a very important person who loved nature. Lord Rothschild helped pay for many trips for a naturalist named Antwerp Edgar Pratt and his two sons. These trips explored places like British New Guinea and the Arfak Mountains. That's how they found many new species, including this butterfly!
What It Looks Like
Rothschild's birdwing butterflies are quite big. The females are larger than the males.
Female Butterflies
Female Rothschild's birdwings can have a wingspan of up to 15 centimeters (about 6 inches). Their front wings are dark brown or blackish-brown. They have creamy white or grayish spots. The back wings have black edges. The middle part of their back wings is golden with black tips. Their body has fuzzy black rings.
Male Butterflies
Male Rothschild's birdwings are a bit smaller. Their wingspan is about 13 centimeters (about 5 inches). Their body can also be up to 13 centimeters long. The front wings of the males have black edges. The middle part of these wings has blackish, yellowish-green, and yellow colors. Their back wings have black edges too. The center of the back wings is yellow with black tips. There are also smaller spots that are a bright lime green. The body of the male butterfly is golden.
Where It Lives
The Rothschild's birdwing has a very small home range. It lives only in the Arfak Mountains in Western New Guinea. You can find these butterflies in flowery meadows. They live at very high altitudes, between 2,000 and 2,700 meters (about 6,500 to 8,800 feet) above sea level.
Gallery
- Selection of museum specimens of Rothschild's birdwing
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Ornithoptera rothschildi, Syntype male dorsal view
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Ornithoptera rothschildi, Syntype male ventral view
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Ornithoptera rothschildi, Syntype female dorsal view
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Ornithoptera rothschildi, Syntype female ventral view
