Golden Birdwing vs Ross's Alpine

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Golden Birdwing Ross's Alpine
Scientific Name Troides aeacus Erebia rossii
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Papilionidae Nymphalidae
Size 140-170 mm wingspan 34-42 mm wingspan
Habitat Mountains Tundra & Arctic
Diet Nectar Feeders Omnivores
Regions South and Southeast Asia, southern China Arctic Alaska, northern Canada, Yukon Territory
Conservation Least Concern; listed on CITES Appendix II Least Concern

Golden Birdwing

A large birdwing butterfly with velvety black forewings and brilliant golden-yellow hindwings. It is found across a wide range of Asian habitats from India to China.

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Did You Know?

Like all birdwings, it is protected under international trade law, and collecting wild specimens is illegal in most countries.

Ross's Alpine

A dark brown butterfly with small reddish-orange eye spots on the forewings. Its cryptic coloration allows it to blend with dark tundra soils and rocks. It has a slow, bobbing flight pattern close to the ground.

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Did You Know?

Named after the Arctic explorer Sir James Clark Ross, this butterfly takes two full years to develop from egg to adult.