MORPHOLOGY

External characteristics

Male
Forewing length (mm): 67-77. Wingspan (mm): 104-120.
Forewings: Upperside black, with or without whitish lines on both sides of the veins; underside as Upperside, sometimes whitish between veins in marginal and apical area. Hindwings Upperside and underside centrally yellow with wide black border.

Female
Forewing length (mm): 82-86. Wingspan (mm):122-136.
Similar to male or (frequently) broadly whitish along the veins in distal half of forewing, and on hindwing the yellow colour more deeply penetrates the wide black border, leaving black rounded spots connected to the black border (this possibly being the origin of the specific name). Underside similar.

Subspecies and variation

A variable number of subspecies are recognized which differ only a little. In New Guinea only ssp. papuensis is present.

Similar species

It is the only Troides species in New Guinea and, thus, it cannot be confused there with another Troides species, but it roughly looks like a female Ornithoptera goliath. On the average the latter species is much bigger, but variable, with a wingspan of 140-210 mm. Apart from its size, the forewing is more rounded, has well defined, small, pale yellow submarginal spots on the forewing, and has, on the hindwing, a much narrower black marginal area, while the basal black area is much more extensive.

_{source: Jan Moonen, peronal communication 2020}