Tithonus-Species-Group

Tithonus-Species-Group

This Species-Group includes the following species.

1) O. (S.) tithonus De Haan, 1840 (6 subspecies, 2 subspecies (?))

2) O. (S.) chimaera (Rothschild, 1904) (3 subspecies, 1 local form)

3) O. (S.) rothschildi Kenrick, 1911 (1 subspecies)

 

Except for O. (S.) rothschildi, which occurs only in a special environment called the Arfak Mts. area, O. (S.) tithonus distributes on the western area (Irian Jaya) and O. (S.) chimaera occurs on the eastern area (PNG). (The distribution area of these two species partly overlaps at around long. 135°E. – 140°E.).

As a common feature of patch pattern of ♂, FW the radial, the cubital and the anal bands are identical (the same is true for the Paradisea-Species-Group.) These three species share a similarity in that the basal 2/3 of the radial band is very narrow and widen abruptly toward the apex and HW has an anal notch on inner margin on. In O. (S.) tithonus and O. (S.) rothschildi, a green band spreading from the inner margin to the cell-apex is characteristic. As a characteristic feature of the highland species, O. (S.) chimaera and O. (S.) rothschildi have highly developed body hairs.