Ornithoptera (from Ancient Greek ὄρνις (órnis), meaning "bird", and πτερόν (pterón), meaning "wing") is a genus of birdwing butterflies found in the northern portion of the Australasian realm, east of Weber's line; the Moluccas, New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, and northeastern Australia; except for Ornithoptera richmondia, which may be found in far northeastern New South Wales, Australia, therefore the southernmost distribution of birdwings. This genus includes the two largest butterfly species in the world, the Queen Alexandra's birdwing and the Goliath birdwing. Ornithoptera species are highly prized by insect collectors because they are rare, large, and considered exceptionally beautiful.

Species

1. subgenus: Aetheoptera

2. Ornithoptera victoriae – Queen Victoria's birdwing

3. subgenus: Ornithoptera

4. Ornithoptera aesacus – Obi Island birdwing

5. Ornithoptera croesus – Wallace's golden birdwing

6. Ornithoptera euphorion – Cairns birdwing

7. Ornithoptera priamus – common green birdwing

8. Ornithoptera richmondia – Richmond birdwing

9. subgenus: Schoenbergia

10. Ornithoptera chimaera – chimaera birdwing

11. Ornithoptera goliath – Goliath birdwing

12. Ornithoptera meridionalis – southern tailed birdwing

13. Ornithoptera paradisea – paradise birdwing

14. Ornithoptera rothschildi – Rothschild's birdwing

15. Ornithoptera tithonus – Tithonus birdwing

16. subgenus: Straatmana

17. Ornithoptera alexandrae – Queen Alexandra's birdwing

References