![cover image](https://wikiwandv2-19431.kxcdn.com/_next/image?url=https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/59/Ornithoptera_alexandrae.png/640px-Ornithoptera_alexandrae.png&w=640&q=50)
Queen Alexandra's birdwing
Largest species of butterfly / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ornithoptera alexandrae, the Queen Alexandra's birdwing, is the largest species of butterfly in the world, with females reaching wingspans slightly in excess of 25 cm to 28 cm (9.8 inches to 11 inches).[4][5] This birdwing is restricted to the forests of the Oro Province in eastern Papua New Guinea.
Quick Facts Conservation status, Scientific classification ...
Queen Alexandra's birdwing | |
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Female (above) and male (below), not to scale | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Papilionidae |
Genus: | Ornithoptera |
Subgenus: | Straatmana Deslisle, 2007 |
Species: | O. alexandrae |
Binomial name | |
Ornithoptera alexandrae (Rothschild, 1907) | |
Synonyms[3] | |
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The species is endangered and one of only four insects to be listed on Appendix I of CITES, making commercial international trade illegal. The other three insects listed are butterflies as well. They are the Parides burchellanus, Papilio homerus, Ornithoptera alexandrae, Achillides chikae chikae (plus subspecies chikae hermeli)).[6]