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Mila'sExotic Plants & CuriositiesA living collection by Luminary OdditiesLuminary Oddities · Natural history & art
Ornithoptera priamus
Lepidoptera / Papilionidae
Ornithoptera priamus is a birdwing with strong sexual dimorphism: males have green or blue fields on black wings, while larger females carry pale markings on a dark ground. Its island populations extend from the Moluccas through New Guinea and the Solomon Islands to Cape York.
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Males have black forewings edged or patched with green or blue, and green or blue hindwings with black spots. Green forms often have yellow marginal spots. The underside retains these contrasting colors, with larger black hindwing spots. [2]
Females are larger, with less elongated forewings. Their dark wings carry whitish patches; some individuals have yellowish or greenish tones in these pale areas. [2]
Populations occupy the Moluccas, New Guinea and surrounding islands, the Bismarck Archipelago, much of the Solomon Islands and northern Australia. Australian pronomus occurs on Cape York and adjacent Torres Strait islands. Egg laying is recorded at forest fringes, in secondary forest and scrub, and in gardens. [3]
Larval hosts belong to the birthwort family, Aristolochiaceae. [4]
Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Malesian Butterflies · Accessed 2026-10-11
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Malesian Butterflies · Accessed 2026-10-11
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Malesian Butterflies · Accessed 2026-10-11
Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Malesian Butterflies · Accessed 2026-10-11
Sources checked 2026-10-11. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.
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