Wallaces Golden Birdwing vs Emerald Swallowtail
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Wallaces Golden Birdwing | Emerald Swallowtail |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Ornithoptera croesus | Papilio palinurus |
| Order | Lepidoptera | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Papilionidae | Papilionidae |
| Size | 160-190 mm wingspan | 80-100 mm wingspan |
| Habitat | Forests | Forests |
| Diet | Nectar Feeders | Nectar Feeders |
| Regions | Asia | South America (Colombia, Ecuador, Peru) |
| Conservation | Near Threatened | Least Concern |
Wallaces Golden Birdwing
Named after Alfred Russel Wallace, who called it the finest specimen he ever captured. Males are brilliant orange-gold and black. Found only in North Maluku, Indonesia.
Did You Know?
Wallace was so overwhelmed by catching this butterfly in 1859 that he wrote his head began to ache and he felt close to fainting from the beauty of the creature.
Emerald Swallowtail
A stunning swallowtail butterfly with broad bands of emerald green on black wings. The green color is produced by yellow and blue structural layers overlapping. It has graceful spatulate tails on the hindwings.
Did You Know?
The emerald green color is actually an optical illusion created by alternating layers of yellow and blue on the wing scales.