write an long essay on Alexander Birdwing .
Answers
Answer:
Write an long essay on Alexander Birdwing .
ANSWER:
The species was first discovered in 1906 in Papua New Guinea by the naturalist, Albert S. Meek, who chanced upon an individual on one of his walks in the rainforest. As a collector, he did not think twice and immediately shot the gigantic butterfly, in order to add to his collection. However, before doing so, he took the specimen to Walter Rothschild, a world-renowned zoologist.
Rothschild then helped prepare the first-ever scientific description of the species.
He named it Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing in honor of the then ruling queen, Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII of England (1841-1910)
What Is The World’s Largest Butterfly?Updated On: 19 Jan 2022 By Tamanna Kalam
Table of Contents
Meet The Largest Butterfly In The World
Where is Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing butterfly found?
Threats to the species
Suggested Reading
The world’s largest butterfly is Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae). It has a wingspan of 30 cm (1 foot) and is found only in Papua New Guinea (specifically in the Popondetta Plain).
When we think of butterflies, our mind often flits to the tiny common blue butterflies (3.5 cm in size) or the small copper butterflies (3.2 cm) fluttering around our gardens. Those living in tropical countries may think of the medium-sized monarch butterflies (9.5-10 cm) or pale-yellow swallowtails (8 -9 cm) that are so common in our environments.
Little asian girl in garden with hands up and butterflies(Patrick Foto)s
No matter their size, butterflies add life to our lives! (Photo Credit : Patrick Foto/Shutterstock)
Butterflies come in a variety of shapes and sizes, just like our clothes—small, medium, and large. They can be as small as our fingertip or as large as the palm of our hand. They also come in a broad range of patterns and colors, ranging from bright yellow and orange to blue and purple, boasting symmetrical lines, polka-dotted wings and everything in between. Some of these beauties are so magnificent that we confuse them with canvas paintings!
However, what if I told you that there is one species, the largest in the world, that comes in an XL size? This variety has a wingspan so big that it would fit across half your chest!
Queen Alexandra's birdwing butterfly up close to it's colorful body and wings(Russell Marshall)S
It may look small here, but looks can be deceiving. (Photo Credit : Russell Marshall/Shutterstock)
Lo-and-behold… the largest butterfly, with a wingspan of 30 cm (1 foot), found exclusively on Planet Earth, is Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae).
The species was first discovered in 1906 in Papua New Guinea by the naturalist, Albert S. Meek, who chanced upon an individual on one of his walks in the rainforest. As a collector, he did not think twice and immediately shot the gigantic butterfly, in order to add to his collection. However, before doing so, he took the specimen to Walter Rothschild, a world-renowned zoologist.
Rothschild then helped prepare the first-ever scientific description of the species.
He named it Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing in honor of the then ruling queen, Queen Alexandra, wife of King Edward VII of England (1841-1910).
Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing
Size comparison of Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing to other birdwing species (Photo Credit : Adalbert Seitz/Wikimedia Commons)
It would be lovely if we could all see this butterfly variety fluttering around in our backyards, but unfortunately, Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing is severely restricted in its geographic distribution and is found only in Papua New Guinea (specifically in the Popondetta Plain).
To date, scientists still don’t know how many individuals there are of this species in the wild, and there have been no recent population surveys.
Way back in 1992, researchers found only seven larvae, one pupa, and 167 adults. However, these numbers are most likely over-representations, considering how difficult it is to count flying organisms.
What scientists know, however, is that this species prefers open primary and secondary rainforests or remote plateaus, because there is more light.
Interestingly, the first specimen collected in 1906 was found nowhere near these habitats, but rather alongside a river. This likely means that the butterfly used to occupy a wider variety of habitats in the past, but is limited today to remote forests or plateaus.
Explanation:
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