Ornithoptera chimaera
WINGSPAN 8 to 18cm (3⅛ to 7in) in females, 7 to 15cm (2¾ to 6in) in males
HABITAT Rainforests and damp gorges
DISTRIBUTION Papua New Guinea, Irian Jaya, Indonesia
LIFESPAN Up to 12 months
MALES AND FEMALES Males are black, green and gold; females are larger, mostly dark brown, with white and black spots
It’s difficult to catch sight of these rare and beautiful butterflies because they tend to fly high in the rainforest canopy. An endangered species because of habitat destruction, Chimaera Birdwings are Swallowtails without the usual tail-like extensions to their hind wings. In Greek mythology, the Chimaera is a fire-breathing she-monster with a lion’s head, goat’s body and serpent’s tail. This creation brought chaos, fire and destruction to the land, quite the opposite to this butterfly seriously threatened by the decline of its environment.