Ornithoptera priamus (Linnaeus, 1758)

MORPHOLOGY


External characteristics


Male 
Forewing length (mm): 80. Wingspan (mm): 140.
Forewings: Upperside forewing black, green or blue along front margin, hind margin and outer margin (except near apex), may also be green along veins; underside forewing black with larger or smaller green or blue patches; upperside hindwing green or blue with smaller or larger submarginal black spots, if green then usually with some yellow marginal spots; underside hindwing similar to upperside, but black spots larger. 

Female 
Forewing length (mm):
 98.  Wingspan (mm):180.
Very different from male. Forewing less elongated, black with smaller or larger whitish spots, outer half of hindwing may be whitish very rarely, the white is replaced by a yellowish color which at the edges may become greenish.  

Subspecies and variation

 
Under this name a number of taxa are grouped together which are variously treated as forms, subspecies or full species. The blue form, for instance, which is restricted to the Bismarck Archipelago and the Solomon Islands, is often recognized as the species O. urvillianus. There are divergent opinions about the taxonomic status of various forms. According to Parsopns (1999) there are 15 subspecies. To be further explained

Similar species

 

source: Jan Moonen, peronal communication 2020

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