Note that although the species may be abundant at altitude (e.g. the Queensland-New South Wales border ranges national parks), these populations typically die out due to cold winter temperatures and require migration of adults from the lowlands for persistence.

O. richmondia has never received an official IUCN classification (Collins & Morris, 1985), however Sands & Scott (1997) regarded it to satisfy the "vulnerable" category because of habitat loss across its former range.

North of Brisbane, the species is now restricted to small patches of remnant rainforest with relatively few populations secure in national parks or forest reserves; strongholds include the Connondale and Blackall ranges.

Both campaigns have been extremely successful in establishing the Richmond birdwing as a flagship species for rainforest conservation in southeastern Queensland (Sands & Scott, 1997).

The pupae are suspended in typical Papilionid fashion by crotchets at the end of their abdomen and a girdle extending around the thorax and require a protected site to survive winter.

Observations of O. richmondia at other times of the day can lead to false impressions of their rarity, as the species can be locally abundant, albeit in small areas.

Females are often observed some distance from their habitats and a migration of sorts has been noted in the QLD-NSW border ranges following years of exceptional rainfall.

Males routinely establish territories along creeks and in rainforest clearings and periodically patrol them during the day, again being most active at dawn and dusk.

Courtship is elaborate, with the male initially chasing after the female before hovering above to douse her in pheremones from his androconial brush, a large row of hairs along the anal fold of the hindwing.

Many non-Australian authors (e.g. Otani & Kimura 1998, von Knotgen 1997, Schaffler 2001, Deslisle 2004) continue to treat O. richmondia as a subspecies of O. priamus, although none cite any of the above Australian studies in their works.

The most recent and robust taxonomic assessment of O. richmondia is by Edwards, Newland and Regan (2001) who afford this taxon full specific status, albeit as a species of Troides Hübner.