thebutterflyguy
Purple Spotted Swallowtail - Graphium weiskei
This incredible butterfly occurs in Papua New Guinea--purple is an unusual color in butterflies!
Since this is not a "live nature shot" I thought some background might be helpful. This butterfly was obtained through an Ecology Institute in New Guinea that helps preserve tropical rainforest by creating an economic tie to the habitat. Tropical rainforest supports 75% of the world's insect species, but covers only 6% of the earth's surface, and is rapidly declining due to habitat destruction through agricultural uses, encroaching development, and industrialization.
Conservationists have encouraged working with insects as a renewable resource as a viable way to preserve the rainforest and all the wonderful life it supports. Butterfly farms and suppliers like the ecology institute sell the deceased dry butterflies and other insects all over the world, for science, education and artwork, thereby giving indigenous people a way to support themselves that actually preserves the environment for the butterflies instead of destroying it. (Habitat destruction has long been recognized as the number one threat to wildlife.) Since most people would never see this incredible swallowtail in the wild, I thought it was worth sharing here!
Purple Spotted Swallowtail - Graphium weiskei
This incredible butterfly occurs in Papua New Guinea--purple is an unusual color in butterflies!
Since this is not a "live nature shot" I thought some background might be helpful. This butterfly was obtained through an Ecology Institute in New Guinea that helps preserve tropical rainforest by creating an economic tie to the habitat. Tropical rainforest supports 75% of the world's insect species, but covers only 6% of the earth's surface, and is rapidly declining due to habitat destruction through agricultural uses, encroaching development, and industrialization.
Conservationists have encouraged working with insects as a renewable resource as a viable way to preserve the rainforest and all the wonderful life it supports. Butterfly farms and suppliers like the ecology institute sell the deceased dry butterflies and other insects all over the world, for science, education and artwork, thereby giving indigenous people a way to support themselves that actually preserves the environment for the butterflies instead of destroying it. (Habitat destruction has long been recognized as the number one threat to wildlife.) Since most people would never see this incredible swallowtail in the wild, I thought it was worth sharing here!