Queen Alexandra’s birdwing

With a wingspan of about 25cm in the case of females – similar to that of a greenfinch – and 20cm in the case of males ( pictured),

Queen Alexandra’s birdwing is wellnamed, being more bird than butterfly in terms of its proportions. But butterfly it is – the world’s biggest – and, undeniably, a beautiful beast, too. Males sport stunning iridescent blues and greens on those crazy wings, while the abdomen is a bright banana-yellow. Restricted to just four or five locations in a tiny area of south-east Papua New Guinea, it is also extremely hard to see. Around Popondetta, the main town of Oro Province, is the stronghold for the species, but experts say you would have to stay for a couple of weeks to give yourself a chance of an encounter. That’s because the best way of seeing them is to find one that is hatching out of a pupa – these are easy enough to find in the rainforest, but knowing when they will hatch is another thing entirely!