Animal profile

Cairns Birdwing

Ornithoptera euphorion

InsectaLowland and upland tropical rainforest and adjacent gardens

Field profile

Australia's largest endemic butterfly, with females spanning up to about 15 centimetres. Males are green, gold and black; females are larger, dark brown and white. Larvae feed on Aristolochia vines, which makes them chemically defended.

Published field notes

2023-06-29

Cairns Birdwing

A popular garden vine kills birdwing caterpillars

Female Cairns birdwings lay eggs on the introduced Dutchman's pipe, mistaking it for a native host. The vine smells right and triggers the same egg-laying response, but its chemistry kills the caterpillars that hatch on it.

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