Ornithoptera meridionalis Rothschild, 1897

MORPHOLOGY


External characteristics


Male 
Forewing length (mm): 58. Wingspan (mm): 99.
Forewings: Slightly concave along the outer margin. Upperside forewing black, narrow green patch from base to apex, and large green area between cell and hind margin. Underside forewing green, narrowly black along margins and veins, black area at apex and from front margin to near outer margin across upper part of cellHindwings Hindwing conspicuously narrow, with concave outer margin, tornus extended into a long fine tail. Upperside hindwing greenish yellow, green along veins and margin, inner margin (anal area) black; underside as upperside, but anal area green.

Female 
Forewing length (mm):
 69.  Wingspan (mm):124.
Forewing blackish brown with a more or less complete series of submarginal and median spots, as well as a spot in upper part of cell, but extent of spots variable. Hindwing blackish brown in the basal third and along wavy outer margin, rest of wing cream-colored changing into dirty yellow towards the outer margin.  

Subspecies and variation

 
No subspecies are recognized.

Similar species

The only species that comes close in the male is O. paradisea, but outer margin of forewing concave as is outer margin of hindwing; black area across wing on underside forewing missing in O. paradisea. Female on average much smaller than female O. paradisea. Females much like female O. chimaera, but considerably smaller and spots on the forewing much bigger, particularly the cell spot and spots in spaces 2 and 3.

 

source: Jan Moonen, peronal communication 2020

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