WALLACE’S GOLDEN BIRDWING

ORNITHOPTERA CROESUS

This large, spectacular butterfly and its close relatives in the same genus are found only east of the Wallace Line. Wallace named it after Croesus, the ancient king of Lydia famed for his wealth. He reasoned that as it was, in his opinion, the finest of all the Ornithoptera it must therefore be the finest butterfly in the world! Birdwings are sexually dimorphic; the females are larger and have entirely different markings.