Which Is the Largest Butterfly in the World?

Queen Alexandra's birdwing, Ornithoptera alexandrae, lives only in the rainforests of Oro Province in Papua New Guinea. Females are larger than males and can have wingspans of up to about 28 centimetres. The species was discovered by naturalist Albert Stewart Meek in 1906, and the first specimen was famously brought down with a shotgun. Its caterpillars feed on poisonous pipevines, making both the larvae and adults toxic to predators. It is Endangered, and international trade is strictly controlled under CITES Appendix I.