What do queen alexandra birdwing eat

There are 4 stages in the lifecycle: egg , larva caterpillar , pupa chrysalis , and adult. What Do We Eat? A pipevine is the primary plant that larvae eat. Adults will use their proboscis, which is a long straw-like tongue, to drink nectar. The pipevine plant that the larvae feed on is poisonous, so it is thought that the adult butterflies are also poisonous.

Did You Know? What Do We Look Like? Larva The female has rounded brown wings with white spots with a patch of red fur on its brown thorax.

It is fixed onto the underside of a leaf with an orange adhesive substance. The eggs hatch after 11 to 13 days. A yellow band runs across its back. The vines on which the caterpillar feeds are poisonous to vertebrates.

This makes it poisonous to other animals. It attaches itself to a leaf or stem and forms a pale brown chrysalis. It lives as an adult for around 3 months or more. This is due mainly to habitat loss. Soon after, they begin feasting on the fresh foliage, as well as the flower petals, of their host plant. It takes around six weeks for the insect to reach the stage of the chrysalis. The cocoon has a golden yellow to tan coloration with distinct black marks on the body.

This stage lasts for about a month or sometimes a little more. Color and Appearance: When the wings are open , the female butterflies display a brown coloration with white marks patterned in a pair of rows of chevrons in their primary wings, while the hindwings are also brown, but having submarginal lines of centered triangles in dull white to yellow. The males show an iridescent blue-green hue in both the primary and secondary wings along with a black band at the center.

When the wings are closed , both the sexes display a fainter version of the dorsal sides along with darker veins. If she is receptive to his advances they will mate. It is fixed onto the underside of a leaf with an orange adhesive substance. The eggs hatch after 11 to 13 days. A yellow band runs across its back. The vines on which the caterpillar feeds are poisonous to vertebrates.

This makes it poisonous to other animals. It attaches itself to a leaf or stem and forms a pale brown chrysalis. It lives as an adult for around 3 months or more. This is due mainly to habitat loss.