Description
Ornithoptera paradisea is a large butterfly with a wingspan ranging from 140 mm to 190 mm. Males and females differ in the size, shape and colour of the wings.
Male.Males have black fore wings. The costal edge is black and there are two large, yellow gold and green bands. The underside of the male forewing is green with black veins and at the apex there is a black area. The hind wings are tiny triangles, golden and with thin tails. The inner edge of the hind wing is black and there is usually a green stripe between the golden area and the inner edge. The outer edge of the hind wing is usually green.The underside is very similar to the upperside but the inner edge is green and hairy. The hindwings have tails of uncertain selective origin.The only other tailed Ornithoptera is Ornithoptera meridionalis The abdomen is yellow, the head and thorax are black and green.
Female. O. paradisea is strongly sexually dimorphic and the significantly larger female covers the upper range of the wing-span.The basic colour is dark-brown. Two groups of white spots dominate the fore wing and on the hind wings there is a white area with a yellow outer edge. Between these there is a chain of black spots. The underside is very similar to the upperside, but the colours are stronger. The abdomen is yellow, the head and thorax are black and green.
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