Ornithoptera chimaera (Rothschild, 1904)

OCCURENCE

Habitat: Forest - Subtropical/Tropical Moist Montane,Artificial/Terrestrial - Rural Gardens
There is very little known about the ecology of this species. It is a montane species, and sometimes considered scarce but widely distributed in the east of its range (Collins and Morris 1985). It occurs in areas of tall but fairly open primary forest, often in steep-sided valleys along water courses (Collins and Morris 1985, Parsons 1999). Adults frequent forest margins for nectar collection (Collins and Morris 1985). It appears to be absent in areas where O. tithonus occurs and vice versa (Collins and Morris 1985).
This species is restricted to a single host plant, Aristolochia momandul (monophagous ( Pararistolochia pithecurus ) in Parsons 1999), and the density of larvae is generally low (Collins and Morris 1985). This species, like many other birdwing butterflies, produces few offspring compared to other butterfly species (Collins and Morris 1985). During early developmental stages, attack by the braconid wasp, Apanteles cf. vitripennis , may be heavy in some localities (around 30% parasitised this way, Straatman and Schmid 1975, Haugum and Low 1979, Parsons 1983, Collins and Morris 1985). There are no records of vertebrates preying on the adult butterflies (Parsons 1983).
The species generally occurs in mid to upper montane open primary forest of 20-25 m height (Parsons 1999), in moderate to steeply sided valleys along water courses. It is the only species of its genus to have fully evolved to exploit medium to high altitude habitats (Parsons 1999). Even pupa were found at high altitude (e.g. 2,200 m, Mount Otto; Gressitt 1956 in Parsons 1999).
Adults, especially females, appear to be wide-ranging (Parsons 1999); females maximise dispersal of eggs, placing one per host plant. Straatman and Schmid (1975) suggested that females generally seek out host vines in dense vegetation in mountain gorges and ridges, i.e. in inaccessible country, which may explain why the species has often been considered rare. The species has multiple broods per year, at least in parts of its range (Straatman and Schmid 1975). For feeding, adult males often frequent Hibiscus (Parsons 1999), while imagines in Irian Jaya were reported to feed on Rhododendron flowers and flowers in village gardens (Straatman 1979). Adults of both sexes are also attracted to the flowers of a Eucalyptus -like tree and Phlox (Haugum and Low 1979). Young larvae feed on tender leaves and shoots, while mature larvae feed on older leaves and stem (Straatman and Schmid 1975).
Mortality from parasitic wasps is high in some areas ( Apanteles sp.), with 30% or more of 4th instar larve reported as dying, while in other areas such attacks are very uncommon (Straatman and Schmid 1975). Larval cannibalism occasionally occurs, especially where more than one larvae occupy a food plant (Straatman and Schmid 1975).
(IUCN 2020)

Population: There are no abundance data available, although the species was considered overall scarce in the past (D'Abrera 1971, Haugum and Low 1979, Collins and Morris 1985). It is however widely distributed in the eastern parts of its range and sometimes quite common (Collins and Morris 1985), with adults frequently sighted in parts of its range (Haugum and Low 1979). In fact, it was not considered to be very rare during previous status assessments (Collins and Morris 1985). For example, in 1976, Fenner quoted observations of up to 50 adults on single flowering trees (Fenner 1976 in Parsons 1999), while the species can be very common in tall undisturbed forest areas during the dry season (D. Sands pers. comm. in Parsons 1999). While the species is thought to be relatively common in parts of the Western Highlands and Southern Highlands Provinces, it can be scare elsewhere (e.g. Bulolo area; Parsons 1999).
Range: This species is known from mainland Papua New Guinea and Irian Jaya (Indonesia) (Collins and Morris 1985, Matsuka 2001, Schaeffler 2001). It is considered a possible relict species and occurs in the mountainous parts of the island (Collins and Morris 1985). More specifically, it occurs in central Irian Jaya, from the Wandamen Mountains on the east coast of the Vogelkop (Berau Peninsula) through the Weyland Mountains (Kobowre Mountans, the main centre of occurrence), the central cordillera, and is also found in the Finisterre Mountains and the mountains of the Huon Peninsula (Collins and Morris 1985, Matsuka 2001, Schaeffler 2001), There is an outlying locality in the Pegunungan Maoke (Snow Mountains) (Haugum and Low 1979, Collins and Morris 1985). The species currently has three subspecies recognised: subspecies charybdis occurs in Irian Jaya, from the Eastern Vogelkop peninsula to Southwest Geelvink Bay, and the Weyland Mountains (Haugum and Low 1979, Matsuka 2001, Schaeffler 2001), with one observation from the Snow Mountains (Haugum and Low 1979). Subspecies flavidior occurs on the Huon Peninsula, and the Herzog Mountains (Matsuka 2001, Schaeffler 2001), and possibly extending north to the Finisterre Mountains (Haugum and Low 1979). The nominal subspecies chimaera occurs in Irian Jaya and Papua New Guinea, occurring from Jayapura into the highlands of Papua New Guinea (from Bismarck range to Owen Stanley range; Haugum and Low 1979, Matsuka 2001, Schaeffler 2001). In Papua New Guinea, the nominal subspecies is likely to be widespread, in any area where its food plant vine occurs in fairly extensive mid- to upper montane primary forest above 1,500 m altitude (Parsons 1999, Matsuka 2001).
The species occurs between 1,000 - 2,800 m above sea level, though it is mostly seen between 1,600 and 1,800 m (Straatman and Schmid 1975, Parsons 1999, Matsuka 2001). Subspecies chimaera occurs at highest altitudes (1,600-2,800 m) while subspecies charybdis occurs at lower elevations (1,000 - 2,000 m; Haugum and Low 1979). Given its overall high altitude distribution, the species is naturally restricted in habitat (Parsons 1999).
The extent of occurrence based on known occurrence records is in excess of 480,000 km?. From available point data, the estimated area of occupancy is at least 140 km?, and likely larger.
(IUCN 2020)

Occurrence and observation maps

Map of Life
GBIF
i-Naturalist

References

• Collins, N.M. and Morris, M.G. 1985. Threatened Swallowtail Butterflies of the World. The IUCN Red Data Book. IUCN, Gland and Cambridge.
• D'Abrera, B. 1971. Butterflies of the Australian Region. Lansdowne Press, Melbourne.
• Fenner, T. 1976. Proposal for experimental farming of protected birdwing butterflies with particular reference to Ornithoptera alexandrae. Unpublished proposal to Department of Agriculture, Stock and Fisheries.
• Fenner, T.L. 1976. Aspects of butterfly conservation in Papua New Guinea. In: Lamb, K.P. and Gressitt, J.L. (eds), Ecology and Conservation in Papua New Guinea, pp. 121-127. Wau Ecology Institute.
• Haugum, J. and Low, A.M. 1979. A Monograph of the Birdwing Butterflies. Scandinavian Science Press, Klampenborg.
• IUCN. 2020. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2020-3. Available at: www.iucnredlist.org. (Accessed: 10 December 2020).
• Matsuka, H. 2001. Natural History of Birdwing Butterflies. Matsuka Shuppan, Tokyo.
• Parsons, M. 1999. The butterflies of Papua New Guinea: their systematics and biology. Academic Press., London.
• Parsons, M.J. 1983. A conservation study of the birdwing butterflies Ornithoptera and Troides (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae) in Papua New Guinea. Final report to the Department of Primary Industry, Papua New Guinea.
• Schaeffler, O. 2001. Papilionidae VI: Ornithoptera. In: Bauer, E. and Frankenbach, T. (eds), Butterflies of the World, Goecke & Evers, Keltern.
• Straatman, R. and Schmid, F. 1975. Notes on the biology of Ornithoptera goliath and O. chimaera (Papilionidae). Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 29: 85-88.