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Queen Alexandra's Birdwing Caterpillar — printable fact sheet
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Queen Alexandra's Birdwing Caterpillar
Ornithoptera alexandrae
Queen Alexandra's birdwing caterpillar is the remarkable larval stage of the world's largest butterfly, native exclusively to Papua New Guinea. The caterpillar is dark brown to black in color, adorned with striking red tubercles along its body and a pale cream or yellow dorsal s…
Did you know?
- The caterpillar's striking coloration is a warning to predators that it is poisonous, thanks to chemicals ingested from its host plants.
- Queen Alexandra's birdwing caterpillars are among the largest butterfly larvae in the world, sometimes reaching lengths of up to 12 centimeters. They are capable of sequestering toxic compounds from their host plants, making them unpalatable to most predators. The species' entire lifecycle is tied to the presence of specific Aristolochia vines found in their rainforest habitat.
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