Artist, naturalist and vet, John Gale, shares his account of his adventures to Papua New Guinea in search of the magnificent Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing butterfly, the inspiration behind his beautiful Ornithoptera alexandrae print. Three years ago I met up with Charles Dewhurst, SBBT’s first Secretary, who arranged for me to visit Papua New Guinea (PNG) […]
Meet the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing
The Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing (Ornithoptera alexandrae) is the largest butterfly in the world, with the female’s wingspan up to 30cm. Found in Papua New Guinea, this vibrant butterfly is sadly endangered as a result of habitat loss caused by large-scale logging, expanding smallholder agriculture, and oil palm planting.
