middle: male [O. v. regis x O. p. poseidon]
bottom: male [O. v. regis x O. p. poseidon] mounted
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| top: male [O. v. regis x O. p. euphorion]
middle: male [O. v. regis x O. p. poseidon] bottom: male [O. v. regis x O. p. poseidon] mounted |
larva, pupa, adult of [O. v. regis x O. p. poseidon]. Adult is the same specimen shown to the left . |
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| Wild caught male from Bougainville [O. v. regis x O. p. urvilleanus] | Wild caught male from Malaita [O. v. reginae x O. p. urvilleanus] |
Long considered the rarest of the birdwings, This "species" has
been shown by breeding experiments to be a naturally occurring hybrid between
O
victoriae and O priamus urvilleanus. Straatman raised several
specimens before his death; males bred with green subspecies of O priamus
varied from orange to green in color as shown, while the most beautiful
"wild" type is green or blue (as it is hybridized with the blue O priamus
urvilleanus). Note the distinctive HW shape which is intermediate between
victoriae
and priamus