BRAZ 1

Brietta Le Braz

01 December 2020

POLLINATORS IN PERIL

Louisa Hooven

Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing

Scientific name: Ornithoptera alexandrae

This butterfly is one of the rarest species in the world, with less than 1 butterfly being

reported for every square acre of its assumed 100-200 hectare habitat. The species was

discovered relatively recently in 1906 by Albert Stewart Meek. This species has been most

commonly seen in the lowland regions of Papua New Guinea. Though this type of butterfly is

present at a few places in Papua New Guinea, but mostly in the northern part of the island, on

the Popondetta Plain. Since the birdwing butterfly of Queen Alexandra flies far and is

scarcely observed, scientists have been unable to estimate any population totals. This species

is a mostly solitary species, only interacting with other members of the species during their

mating seasons. They are mostly known to fly high above the rainforest canopy during the

early morning and dusk. Lifespan is on average 3 months. One of the most prevalent

problems that the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing faces is deforestation and habitat loss due to

increasing demand for palm oil, coffee and cocoa products. The eruption of Mount

Lamington in the 1950’s also contributed to the destruction of a large portion of their habitat.

They are one of the largest butterfly species in the world. Dependent on the consumption of a

toxic plant known as Aristolochia schlecteri. Consumption of Aristolochia schlecteri Makess

the caterpillars poisonous to predators. Males are much smaller than females, but have a
brighter color pattern. Females can lay over 240 eggs in their lifetime. A single butterfly can

weigh up to 12 grams. As caterpillars they have black bodies with red tubercals. They have

sexual dimorphism in their pupal stage with males having a charcoal patch on their wing

cases. The caterpillar's first meal is an eggshell of its own. The caterpillars consume the

pipevine plant (Aristolochia schlecteri) after that, absorbing its toxin into their mouths,

becoming distasteful to predators. The plant is a tree-climbing, long-leaved vine with seed

pods. Using a tube-like proboscis, which is a long flexible "tongue." Butterflies will only

swallow liquid food. This proboscis uncoils to drink food, and when not in use, coils up again

into a spiral.

It is the world's largest butterfly has a wingspan of 1 ft (30 cm). The eggs of Queen

Alexandra are laid on the poisonous leaves of a tropical pine-vine called aristolochia, which

is located in the rainforests of Oro province. Throughout all stages of growth, emerging

caterpillars feeding on aristolochia consume its toxins before they pupate into chrysalises.

Red hairs on the thorax of the developing adult butterfly alert predators that it is incredibly
poisonous. The butterfly lives at a density of less than 10 females per square kilometre and is

restricted to pockets of suitable habitat, just a fraction of the area producing palm oil around

Popondetta in Papua New Guinea 's northern (Oro) province.

In Oro Province, the 1951 eruption of Mt. Lamington was the worst natural disaster

ever to strike Papua New Guinea. Lava floods have destroyed over 2,940 persons. Before it

collapsed, one dome of the volcano rose 1,600 feet (488 metres) above the crater. Before it

fully erupted, the volcano was active for six days, coating much of Oro Province in ash and

creating mudflows that lasted until 1956. Any scientists claim that the loss of a great amount

of prime habitat by the volcano was the beginning of the extinction of the birdwing butterfly

of Queen Alexandra. Today, The Queen Alexandra's Birdwing is facing dwindling numbers

due to the palm oil industry eating up its natural habitat, as well as logging and illegal trade.

While officially recognised as under threat for more than four decades and protected under

Papua New Guinea's national laws and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered

Species (CITES), birdwing is under threat from invasion of agriculture, logging and illicit

trade. However, their greatest threat remains radical habitat clearing. Queen Alexandra's have

lost most of their distribution across the coastal plain of Oro province and are now condensed

on a remote plateau called Managalas into a small fortress. The oil palm expansion and the

development of coffee and cocoa are killing its ecosystem. Ironically, the butterfly 's best

chance for survival could be the declining laws set up to shield them.

Queen Alexandra is currently listed under the Convention on International Trade in

Endangered Species as an Appendix 1 species. which prohibits their trade as specimens for

overseas collectors. At the Higaturu palm oil estate of New Britain Palm Oil Limited, which

will be staffed by a dedicated specialist entomologist and a number of technicians, a new

state-of-the-art laboratory will be installed. The lab will be sponsored in Malaysia by the
Sime Darby Foundation.

A new approach to butterfly conservation will be initiated by the captive breeding and release

programme, together with habitat enrichment and preservation of the residual woodland areas

near the oil palm plantations.

References:
 Queen Alexandra's Birdwing Butterfly: Identification, Facts, &

Pictures, https://www.butterflyidentification.com/queen-alexandras-birdwing.htm

 World's largest butterfly disappearing from Papua New Guinea :

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2012/jul/30/queen-alexandras-

birdwing-butterfly

 Queen Alexandra birdwing butterfly display causes a flutter:

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2019/february/queen-alexandra-birdwing-

butterfly-tring.html