That's a CITES Schedule I species. it's also difficult to observe even in its natural stronghold of the Blue Mountains, because it prefers to inhabit tree tops. It's larval foodplants include Kerosene Wood or Turpentine Tree (so called because the branches & twigs catch light readily, even when green), various
Euodia species, occasional Citrus trees, and the Pink Flowered Doughwood, the latter being a 25 m tall tree. In the case of
Euodia, it can be found at less troublesome heights around these trees, because it prefers the young saplings to lay its eggs upon, but if it finds Pink Flowered Doughwood to lay its eggs on, it heads for the tops of the trees instead, and at 25 metres, ends up well out of reach of even persistent Lepidoptera watchers.
A purple subspecies, known as
ssp. telegonus, can be found in the rainforests of Papua New Guinea, and a very rare subspecies with particularly intense blue can be found in the Solomon Islands and the Moluccas. Head to New Caledonia, and a similar looking species,
Papilio montrouzieri, takes its place.
Go to Kuranda in Queensland, and the huge butterfly zoo there rears this species in captivity, along with other native Australian species such as the Cairns Birdwing, which despite being an
Ornithoptera species, is one of the smaller ones. If you want to see the real giants among the Birdwings, you have to go to Papua New Guinea. Popondetta Marshes and the adjoining rainforests are home to Queen Alexandra's Birdwing, which is 12 inches across.
Anyone here within reach of Kuranda, can take a a peek
here and see what awaits them at the giant butterfly zoo. Your Google Maps guide to the site can be viewed
here.
