Gynandromorph Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing!

Penang Butterfly Farm has a big surprise yesterday (9 August 2012) when a rare butterfly was spotted!  Well, Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing may not be so rare but  a gynandromorph one, sure is very rare!

What is “gynandromorph”?

Gynandromorph refers to organisms that display both female & male traits. In other words, they are both male & female. This happens to butterflies but chances of finding them are rare. Here’s the comparison to the normal Rajah Brooke’s birdwing:

Male Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing

Female Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing

Gynandromorph Rajah Brooke’s Birdwing

Notice that the gynandromorph butterfly has the male feature on one wing and the female features on the other. This even applies to its abdomen, where it is male on one half and female in the other.

Gyandromorph butterflies are known to be infertile. That means they are unable to reproduce.

Nature comes in all shapes and sizes. Isn’t nature just amazing?

Posted in Butterflies, Insects, Latest News