Oro Province moves to protect the world's biggest butterfly
10 September 2019
NEWS DESK | NBC News / PNG Today
PORT MORESBY - Concern has been raised in Papua New Guinea and overseas about the disappearance of the Queen Alexandra Birdwing butterfly species in Oro Province.
The Birdwing is the world's largest butterfly and it is found only in PNG and can be found only on the Managalas plateau in Oro.
A proposal presented to the Ijivitari District Development Authority by local MP Richard Masere said there are plans to establish a foundation to protect the endangered butterfly.
"I want to be the patron of this foundation,” Masere said.
“To kick start the foundation's work I'm putting K10,000 to campaign to save the Queen Alexandra butterfly.
"We've also decided that from now on all the district letterheads, all electoral letterheads, all parliamentary letterheads and all my letterheads, we have a small phrase at the bottom of the letter, and it’s gonna say 'act and protect the endangered Queen Alexandra butterfly'.
"That's the only thing in this province that you will not find anywhere else in the world. That's uniquely Papua New Guinea.
"God has blessed us with this butterfly. We must protect it at all costs.”
The picture shown here is an Atlas Moth, not Queen Alexandra's Birdwing.
___________
Thanks Dr Collins. Readers can link here to an image of the genuine Quen Alexandra Birdwing https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/sciencefriction/queen-alexandras-birdwing-butterfly-male/10745708 - KJ
Posted by: Dr NM Collins, Chair, Swallowtail & Birdwing Butterfly Trust | 29 October 2019 at 09:57 PM