The largest butterfly: Queen Alexandra’s birdwing

The Queen Alexandra’s birdwing, is the largest butterfly in the world, with females reaching wingspans slightly in excess of 25 cm (9.8 inches). It is restricted to the forests of the Oro Province in eastern Papua New Guinea.

The first specimen ever found was taken down using a shotgun. Though it was only discovered in the West in 1906, this gentle giant is already considered endangered by the IUCN, primarily because of encroaching development in its native habitats, mostly from palm oil plantations. The species is very highly prized by butterfly collectors and fetches a high price on the black market due to its rarity.

The smallest butterfly: Western Pygmy Blue

The smallest butterfly in the world is the western pygmy blue, which has an average wingspan as an adult between 2/5 and 3/4 of an inch with females’ wingspans generally slightly larger. These butterflies live in the US and are found in Texas, California, Idaho, Nebraska and Oklahoma, and even living as far south as South America.

Their underwings also turn a golden-brown colour near the tips, but transform to a gray hue near the base. Females and males bear the same colours and patterns, although females may grow to twice the size of males.

Published in Dawn, Young World April 15th, 2017