Ornithoptera victoriae

Ornithoptera victoriae, the Queen Victoria's birdwing, is a birdwing butterfly of the family Papilionidae, found in the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea (Bougainville Island only).

The Queen Victoria's birdwing was described in 1856 by George Robert Gray.

Typical of birdwing butterflies, the female covers the upper range of the wingspan.

The species is not rare, but some populations are declining due to deforestation.

Ornithoptera victoriae is, like all other birdwing butterflies, a strictly protected species.

It is listed in Appendix II of CITES, meaning that international trade is restricted to captive-raised specimens.

Despite the fact that the Solomon Islands has engaged the CITES controls, a vestigial United States Fish and Wildlife Service ruling has not been updated and so importation of O. victoriae from the Solomon Islands (but not from Bougainville or Papua New Guinea) to the United States remains prohibited.

Male O. v. rubianus
Illustration of male O. v. victoriae with egg and caterpillar
Eggs of Ornithoptera victoriae regis
Pupa