Ornithoptera priamus (Linnaeus, 1758)

Kei Island, 3/98 ssp hecuba  (Specimen from Insect World, CA)	Kei Island, 3/98 ssp hecuba  (Specimen from Insect World, CA) female
Woodlark Island, PNG  Dec 1970  ssp boisduvali	Woodlark Island, PNG  Dec 1970  ssp boisduvali female
Misima Island, Papua New Guinea; Aug 17 1980 ssp. caelestis  male  ( Leg J Holden)	Misima Island, Papua New Guinea; Aug 17 1980 ssp. caelestis  female   ( Leg J Holden)
Ulu Island, Duke of York Group, PNG  Feb 1970  ssp miokensis  male	Ulu Island, Duke of York Group, PNG  Feb 1970  ssp miokensis  female
Byron Bay, NSW Australia ssp richmondia male top, female bottom	Iron Range, Australia ssp malcapnei male top, female bottom
N Queensland Australia ssp euphorion male	New Britain Province Papua New Guinea ssp bornemanni male
Timika Irian Jaya Indonesia ssp poseidon	Aur Island ssp aruana male
Manus Island ssp admiralitatis male	female ssp cassandra
Biak Island ssp teucrus male	Biak Island ssp teucrus female
"Gold euphorion" abberant male (apparently a genetic freak bred from priamus euphorion stock) - this is NOT a retouched photo!  Photo Ianni Butterflies, Ohio	"Gold euphorion" abberant female (apparently a genetic freak bred from priamus euphorion stock) - this is NOT a retouched photo!  Photo Ianni Butterflies, Ohio
N Queensland ssp euphorion - abb with much gold - a step in the breeding of the gold euphorion	Buin, Bougainville ssp urvilleana male
ssp hecuba gold spotted abberant  (Photo courtesy W. Zoeller)	form viridocellularis (Photo courtesy W. Zoeller)

   The common green birdwing, O. priamus is widespread from New Guinea east through the Solomon Islands and south to Australia. As one moves east, it takes on a blue coloration in subspecies urvilleana, miokensis, and caelestis. It is generally common, though some subspecies are under intense environmental pressure and may be in danger (miokensis, boisduvali), and the Australian populations are always vulnerable to habitat destruction ( richmondia, euphorion, malcapinei, pronomus). Other ssp. include demophanes (Trobiand), poseidon (New Guinea), admiralitatis (Admiralty Islands), arruana (Aru), hecuba (Kei Island), cassandra (Yapen)  bornemanni (New Britain), teucrus, and the nominate race from Ceram. Many aberations are described - several spectacular ones are shown above.