In 1870 the species was reported as being ‘abundant’ in the streets of Brisbane. Today, its natural rainforest habitat has been extensively cleared with less than one percent of the original area of this type of rainforest still in existence. The birdwing no longer exists at all in the Brisbane area.
The spectacular butterfly is not only threatened by habitat destruction and loss of its larval food plant, an introduced weed known as Dutchman's Pipe is also poisoning the butterfly’s larvae (caterpillars).
The Dutchman's Pipe is a distant relative of the Richmond Birdwing butterfly's native larval food plant. It emits a substance that tricks the female butterflies into laying their eggs on to the vine. The introduced Dutchman’s pipe is common in gardens and has also spread as a weed into bushland. It creates a ‘death trap’ for any larvae that hatch out and feed on the plants.
Richmond birdwing butterflies native habitat is right here! They live in subtropical rainforest where the larval host plants grow. It once extended from Grafton in New South Wales to Maryborough. Today it is only known
in two areas from Caboolture to Kin Kin in the north and Nerang to
Wardell in New South Wales in the south.
The Richmond birdwing lays round, greenish-yellow eggs singly or in
small clusters (up to three) on native Pararistolochia vines, a species of plant that is now listed as rare under the Nature Conservation Act.
Replanting programs are underway to re-establish the birdwing’s food plants in areas that have been cleared in the past. At the same time the introduced Dutchman’s pipe is being removed.
Do you have a Dutchman's Pipe vine on your property? If so destroy it and consider planting a native Richmond Birdwing vine instead. Report butterfly sightings or sighting of the Dutchmans Pipe weed to local council on 5475 8501. We will have more on this story next month.