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The Golden Birdwing is a large butterfly that has a maximum wingspan ranging from 5 3/4 inches to 6 1/4 inches (4.9 to 16.0cm ), whereas the females have a wingspan of about 5 1/2 inches to 6 1/3 inches (14.2 to 16.2cm). The Wallaces Golden Birdwing Butterflies can differ in size according to whether they are the summer generation, spring generation, or the autumn generation.
The male Wallaces Golden Birdwing Butterfly will travel a maximum distance of approx. 2 1/2 miles (4 kilometers) from where they pupate, whereas the female ones will travel a maximum distance of approx. 1 2/3 miles (3 kilometers) from where they pupate.
During the hottest months, the Golden Birdwing butterflies fly from the month of September to April. At lower heights, the Golden Birdwing Butterfly come out between September and November months and then from January to March when humidity, temperatures and precipitation are high, and the days are long.
Adult Golden butterflies are more copious from September to November and again from February to April, although this differs somewhat between different areas.
Though the Golden Birdwing Butterfly have two breeding periods at lower heights, there is only a single breeding at higher altitudes.
Avg. Wingspan: Male - 150 mm / 5.9 "
Avg. Wingspan: Female - 190 mm - 7.5 "
Max. body length is approx. 7.6 cm or 3 "
Diet: caterpillars feed on Thottea and Aristolochia flowering plants.
Diet: adults feed primarily on Mussaenda, a plant with yellow flowers.
Kingdom: Animalia, Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta, Order: Lepidoptera
* There are approximately 36 known species of Birdwing butterflies worldwide.
* All Birdwings are now listed by CITES, (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) thereby limiting international trade.
The single biggest threat to butterfly survival is habitat destruction!!
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