Troides helena

Common Birdwing

Basic Information

General information

Family: “Papilionidae”
Sub Family: “Papilioninae”
Estimated Lifespan 19 Days

Garden Specific Information

Estimated Number In Flight: 0
Total Number of Pupae Received: 918
First Flown On: 11/25/02
Last Flown On: 06/27/20

Species Range:

  • “Asia”

Host plants:

  • A variety of plants in the genus Aristolochia especially Aristolochia tagala.

Food Source

The adults are known to feed from a variety of different flowers. In the wild they really seem to enjoy Lantana.

Etymology Of Name

The origin of the species Troides is currently unknown. Helena is a formal name from Greek meaning light.

Habitat

The Common Birdwing is primarily found in tropical jungles but they often venture out and are seen in urban gardens.

Flights

In the wild the adults can be found from late March until early December.

Fun Facts

The genus Troides contains some of the world’s largest butterflies. In fact the worlds largest butterfly, based on wingspan, is the Queen Alexandra's Birdwing (Troides alexandrae), which can have a wingspan up to 9 inches (230 mm).