rothschildi

6) Sp. rothschildi Kenrick, 1911⁵⁾ [♂, ♀]

It is a small-sized highland species, with a very restricted distribution only in the Arfak Mts. Region. From its first description by Kenrick in 1911 until its rediscovery by Mr. Takashi Nishizawa in the 1970s, it was the rarest of Birdwing Butterflies. However, with this rediscovery, it was found to be prolific in its habitat.

O. (S.) rothschildi has many morphologies in common with O. (S.) tithonus and O. (S.) chimaera and was once classified as a subspecies of O. (S.) chimaera. At present there are no other subspecies known.

(Distribution) [DCD 13], [Map 49]

INDONESIA [Irian Jaya] Arfak Mts. area (Minyambow, Dimlinda, Hingk (=Nukumo), Andang, Ikmabow, Anggi Giggi-Anggi Gita, Sibjo, *Mt. Koberai (8,000 ft).

(Vertical distribution)

2, 000 – 2, 500 m. a. s. l.

(Episodes of discovery and original description)

The first ♂ described by Kenrick (1911) was brought by a native to his collector, C. B. Pratt, at Mount Koberai (8000 feet) in the Arfak Mountains. The other specimens were collected in March 1910 at 6000 feet or lower. The species name is a dedication to Sir Lionel Walter Rothschild of England, a leading butterfly researcher and founder of the Tring Museum.

(Spotted pattern)

♂: The apex and the tornus of FW are rounded. HW is also oval, with a slight anal notch. The black ground color has a dark bluish-purple sheen, and as in other species, it has 3 green bands on FW, but they are all narrower and more slightly shaded by black scales. HW is surrounded by broad black inner and outer marginal borders, with semi-translucent golden spots except for the green area from the inner margin and the black discal spots surrounding by green scales in costal space and spaces 5 and 6. The underside of abdomen forms black and yellow hair tufts stripe. Red hairs on the lateral thorax are numerous.

♀: The wings are narrow, and the outer margins are wavy, especially on HW. The ground color of wings is dark brown to blackish brown. FW is characterized by the absence of the cell-spot, although other spots are present. On HW, the pale discal spots (=pale band) surround the cell and have a distinctive shape with a deeply lobed out edge. The dark discal spots are round and isolated from each other. The entire abdomen is striped with black and yellow well-developed hair tufts. Red hairs are present on the lateral thorax.

(Variation)

♂-f. kenricki Haugum & Low, 1979⁴⁾: [Aberrant FW/HW pattern] Iridescent scaling of FW reduced, pale green with a slight blue tinge. The colored reflection is a dark dull purplish gray. On HW, black discal spots in space 2 – 5 large, elongate and fuse with each other and also with the black anal band, forming a broad black discal band curving around the cell.

♂-f. maculatuscaeroleus Deslisle & Sclavo, 2015²⁾: [Aberrant FW pattern] Presence of scattered iridescent blue scales within the black median area, left of FW.

♂-f. fabricei Deslisle & Sclavo, 2008¹⁾: [Aberrant FW pattern] Presence of a semi-translucent golden spot within the radial band. This variation is found in all species of genus Ornithoptera, except for sp. alexandrae.

♂-f. edai Deslisle & Sclavo, 2015²⁾: [Aberrant HW pattern] Absence of the typical green band, and presence of three discal green spots with a concentric black spot in subcostal space and spaces 6 – 5, as typically featured in O. (S.) goliath.

♂-f. oceanus Schäffler, 2001⁸⁾: [FW/HW discoloration] The iridescent scaling of both FW and HW is bluish green instead of the typical green.

♂-f. imperialis Dufek & Schäffler, 2006³⁾: [FW/HW discoloration] The iridescent green of FW is partially olive-green due to scattered red scales. The semi-translucent golden spots of HW have dense red scales as well.

♂-f. sublustris Parrott & Deslisle, 1986⁷⁾: [Particular aberration] A unsymmetrical melanic form; Only right FW upper side is blackened, with minute radial and anal bands.

♀-f. illustris Parrott & Deslisle, 1986⁷⁾: [Aberrant FW/HW pattern] In FW, discal spots are completely fused with submarginal spots, but cell-spot is absent. On HW, pale band is extremely enlarged, and dark discal spots are greatly reduced or absent.

♀-f. mariejeanneae Desilsle & Sclavo, 2008¹⁾: [Aberrant FW/HW pattern] A melanic form. On FW, lower subapical streaks missing, upper ones vestigial. On HW, the pale band reduced for the lack of spots of costal space, cell, and space 6. The large dark discal spots in spaces 2 – 5 are fused with each other.

♀-f. kenricki Deslisle & Sclavo, 2015²⁾: [Aberrant HW pattern] Extended dark discal spots are connected to form a broad black band curving around the cell. (see ♂-f. kenricki )

♀-f. kirschoides Haugum & Low, 1979⁴⁾: [FW/HW discoloration] FW pattern is a very light ochreous shade, HW pale band almost entirely is cadmium to chrome-yellow.

♀-f. colorfucus Deslisle & Sclavo, 2015²⁾: [FW/HW discoloration] All pale spots and area are of a pinkish color, both FW and HW. (Artificial?)

(Larval foodplant)

Pararistolochia sp. D (from Arfak Mts.)⁶⁾