13) Sp. oblongomaculatus (Goeze, 1779)12)
Ssp. thestius (Staudinger, 1896)
Ssp. bouruensis (Wallace, 1865)
Ssp. oblongomaculatus (Goeze, 1779)
Ssp. bandensis Pagenstecher, 1904
Ssp. papuensis (Wallace, 1865)
This species is a close relative of Troides helena but is slightly larger and especially populations in South Maluku (=Molucca) Islands are generally large-sized. It is distributed east of the Maluku Islands and clearly segregated from T. helena, although its distribution partially overlaps with southern islands (Selayar Is., Buton Is., Muna Is. and Tukangbesi Islands) of Sulawesi (=Celebes) Is. New Guinea, the eastern limit of the distribution of this species, is also the eastern limit to the genus Troides. There are currently six subspecies known. In female, there are two forms, dark and light, depending on presence or absence of the vein-stripes of FW.
(Distribution) [DCD 32]
![[DCD 32]](https://www.ag.kagawa-u.ac.jp/birdwingbutterflies/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/DCD32-scaled.jpg){kind=link}
Southern islands of Sulawesi Is., Maluku Islands and New Guinea.
(Vertical distribution)
0 – 1, 400 m. a. s. l.
(Spotted pattern)
♂: Both FW and HW have acute apices of the wings. The wingspan of FW is broad, and outer margin of HW is mildly wavy and uneven. FW glossy black, without vein-stripes except for those from islands in the south part of Sulawesi Is. (ssp. thestius ). On the HW, semi-translucent golden patches are reduced due to the wide black marginal border, and the part of space 5 along V6th is protruding like a finger. This is peculiar to this species. The underside of wing patterns is not different from the surface. Reddish hair tufts present on neck and lateral thorax. Upper surface of abdomen dark brown, each segment margined with yellow, with a pale brown median line. Underside is yellow.
♀: Slightly rounded and large. There are two forms of FW pattern, dark and light, depending on presence or absence of the vein-stripes. On the HW, the basal 2/3 of the cell and subcostal space are covered with ground color, and yellow pale band is reduced due to the broad dark marginal border and large dark discal spots. Underside is not much different from the upper surface, but vein-stripes on FW are more distinct and HW spots are paler. Red hair tufts are present on neck and lateral thorax. The upper surface of abdomen is dark brown, and undersurface is yellowish white. Lateral and under surfaces with two rows of black spots.
(Larval foodplant)
Aristolochia tagala19)