About Troides rhadamantus (Lucas, 1835)
Troides rhadamantus, commonly known as the tropical golden birdwing, is a species of birdwing butterfly that lives in the Philippines. This species was first formally described by Hippolyte Lucas in 1835. Many subspecies of this butterfly are found across different islands of the Philippines, and some authors classify the related species Troides plateni and Troides dohertyi as subspecies of T. rhadamantus. This is a large butterfly, with a wingspan that ranges from 140 mm to 160 mm, and its hindwings have very slightly scalloped edges. Male individuals have black forewings, with veins bordered by white. Their hindwings are yellow with black veins, plus a marginal band made of black triangles. Female individuals are larger than males, and have black forewings with veins that are more widely edged with white. Their hindwings are yellow with black veins, and have a broad black edge along the margin. The caterpillars of this species feed on a range of Aristolochia host plants: Aristolochia acuminata, Aristolochia elegans, Aristolochia philippensis, Aristolochia ramosi and Aristolochia tagala.
