Troides richmondia

Troides richmondia (Gray, [1853])
(erroneously: Ornithoptera richmondii)
Richmond Birdwing
PAPILIONIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

(updated 30 August 2006)

Troides richmondia
(Photo: courtesy of the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service)

This species is superficially similar to the Cairns Birdwing ( Troides euphorion ), and the Cape York Birdwing ( Troides priamus ), only it is smaller. Nevertheless, the status of Troides richmondia as a separate species is controversial. The species is named after the Richmond River in the valley of which it was commonly found, in northern New South Wales.

The Caterpillar is dark brown with several rows of dark spines tipped with yellow. It grows to a length of about 6 cms. It feeds on :

Indian Birthwort ( Aristolochia tagala, ARISTOLOCHIACEAE ),

Mountain Aristolochia ( Pararistolochia deltantha, ARISTOLOCHIACEAE ),

Pararistolochia laheyana ( ARISTOLOCHIACEAE ), and

Richmond Butterfly Vine ( Pararistolochia praevenosa, ARISTOLOCHIACEAE ).

(Photo: courtesy of D.P.A. Sands and S.E. Scott,
The Richmond Birdwing Conservation Program)

The pupa is naked and attached to a stem or leaf of a plant by cremaster and girdle. It is normally green with flanges on the thorax, and black spikes on the abdomen. It has a length of about 4 cms.

The adult butterflies are dimorphic.

male
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The males have black forewings, each with an iridescent green streak along the costa, and similar green spots around the tornus. The hindwings are an iridescent green with black spots, and have an orange patch.

male, underside
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

Underneath, they are green with black veins, spots, and margins. They have a wingspan of about 10 cms.

female
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The females are less colourful but larger. They are black with cream spots and patches, and have a wingspan of about 11 cms.

female, underside
(Specimen: courtesy of the Macleay Museum, University of Sydney)

The eggs are pale green and spherical. They are laid singly, usually on a foodplant. The female butterfly is a bit dumb, and is inclined to lay her eggs on:

Dutchman's Pipe ( Aristolochia elegans, ARISTOLOCHIACEAE ),

but the Caterpillars feeding on this vine die at around the second instar because it is poisonous to them, as it is to caterpillars of Troides priamus and Atrophaneura polydorus . It is now an important project in the conservation of these Australian butterfly species to try to eliminate occurrences of

Aristolochia elegans

in the bush along the east coast of Australia, and to encourage people to grow in their gardens :

Pararistolochia praevenosa.

The butterflies were once common in the hills inland from Byron Bay, New South Wales, and in southern Queensland, but are now much less common.