🚨 ARTHROPOD OF THE DAY 🚨

The Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing is the largest butterfly on the planet. Famous for its ability to grow up to 11 inches in wingspan, this magnificent creature also has an enthralling historical foundation.

The Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) was first discovered in 1906 by Albert Stewart Meek. The naturalist, who was employed by Walter (((Rothschild))) to seek out butterflies, recounted his discovery in Papua New Guinea in a 1913 book.

Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing butterflies live in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea, an island off the northern coast of Australia.

The orb-weaving spider and several types of small birds are the only natural enemies of the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing. The pipevine plant that the larvae feed on is poisonous, so it is thought that the adult butterflies are also poisonous.