Talaud black birdwing facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Talaud black birdwing |
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The Talaud black birdwing (Troides dohertyi) is a beautiful and rare birdwing butterfly. It lives only on the Talaud and Sangihe islands in Indonesia. This special butterfly is known for its mostly black wings.
Some scientists think this butterfly is a type of Troides rhadamantus butterfly.
Contents
What Does the Talaud Black Birdwing Look Like?
This butterfly is quite large! Its wings can spread from about 140 to 160 millimeters wide. That's about the length of a large smartphone!
Male Butterflies
Male Talaud black birdwings are very unique. Their top wings are almost completely black. The bottom side of their back wings often has golden marks. Sometimes, these golden marks are smaller. Very rarely, males might have a tiny bit of gold color on the top of their back wings too.
Female Butterflies
Female Talaud black birdwings are different from the males. This is called sexual dimorphism. Females are much bigger than males. Their basic color is dark brown. The lines on their wings (called veins) have white edges. Females also have a small yellow area on their back wings with dark veins. The bottom side of their wings looks similar to the top.
Both male and female butterflies have white or light brown stripes on their front wings. These stripes follow the veins.
Body Features
The body of the butterfly is light brown, but its underside is yellow. Its head and the part of its body where the wings are (the thorax) are black. The underside of the thorax has soft red hairs.
Family Tree: Who Are Its Relatives?
The Talaud black birdwing belongs to a group of butterflies called the Troides aeacus species group. These butterflies are all related to each other. Here are some of its close relatives:
- Troides aeacus
- Troides magellanus
- Troides minos
- Troides rhadamantus
- Troides dohertyi
- Troides prattorum
Protecting This Butterfly
The Talaud black birdwing is a special butterfly that needs our help. It is listed as a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List. This means it could become endangered if we don't protect it. It is also listed on Appendix II of CITES. This means that trading these butterflies is controlled to make sure they don't disappear.
Where Did Its Name Come From?
This butterfly was named by Robert Henry Fernando Rippon. He named it after a person named William Doherty.
Images for kids
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