The Mystery of the World’s Largest Butterfly

By Nick Haddad

The Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing is among the world’s rarest butterflies, but next to nothing is known about it.

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Butterflies are rapidly disappearing. Among the rarest is the world’s largest butterfly, the Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing of Papua New Guinea, which boasts a wingspan of 14 inches. Yet despite its majesty, virtually nothing is known about its fate, as well as that of many other tropical butterfly populations. (Visual: Thomon/Wikimedia Commons)

The Mystery of the World’s Largest Butterfly

By Nick Haddad

The Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing is among the world’s rarest butterflies, but next to nothing is known about it.

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