Trilobite Beetle vs Priamus Birdwing

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Trilobite Beetle Priamus Birdwing
Scientific Name Duliticola hoiseni Ornithoptera priamus
Order Coleoptera Lepidoptera
Family Lycidae Papilionidae
Size 40-80 mm (females), 8-10 mm (males) 120-190 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Underground
Diet Fungus Feeders Nectar Feeders
Regions Asia Oceania (Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, northern Australia)
Conservation Data Deficient Least Concern

Trilobite Beetle

Females are large, larviform, and look strikingly like trilobites from the Paleozoic era. Males are tiny conventional-looking beetles. One of the most extreme sexual dimorphisms in insects.

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Did You Know?

Females of this beetle retain their larval form throughout life and look like extinct trilobites — males are tiny normal beetles, creating one of natures most extreme sex differences.

Priamus Birdwing

A large and variable birdwing butterfly found across Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and parts of northern Australia. Males display vivid green and black wings. It is the most widespread species in the genus Ornithoptera.

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Did You Know?

This species shows extraordinary colour variation across its range, with over 100 subspecies described from different islands.