1855 Wallace & Rajah Brookes Birdwing 1855 Wallace & Rajah Brookes Birdwing
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1855 Wallace & Rajah Brookes Birdwing 1855 Wallace & Rajah Brookes Birdwing
Rajah Brookes Birdwing male (Trogonoptera brookiana) shown with a steel engraving of Sir James Brooke, the famous White Rajah of Sarawak who Wallace named the butterfly for. Wallace had been the guest of his friend Brooke in 1855 when he discovered this butterfly. Wallace wrote of another birdwing butterfly Ornithoptera croesus " on taking it out of my net, and opening the glorious wings, my heart began to pound violently, the blood rushed to my head, and I felt more like fainting, than I have done in apprehension of immediate death" (from Wallaces Malay Archipelago. Males can be seen in large groups near mineral-rich seeps. The bigger and plainer females seldom come down from the canopy and were once wrongly considered to be outnumbered by the males 1000:1. We now know the ratio is more nearly equal
Science Photo Library features Science and Medical images including photos and illustrations
Media ID 6318137
© This image is Paul D. Stewart 2009. Do not reproduce without permission of the photographer at Stewartpauld@aol.com
Alfred Russel Wallace Butter Fly Discovery Entomological Exotic Naturalist Nomenclature Sarawak Specimen Taxonomy Bird Wing Naming Ornithoptera
EDITORS COMMENTS
This print showcases the magnificent 1855 Wallace & Rajah Brookes Birdwing butterfly, also known as Trogonoptera brookiana. The image features a striking male specimen of this species, named after Sir James Brooke, the renowned White Rajah of Sarawak. It was during his stay with Brooke in 1855 that Alfred Russel Wallace discovered this breathtaking butterfly. Accompanying the birdwing is a steel engraving of Sir James Brooke himself, adding an intriguing historical element to the composition. As described by Wallace in his book "Malay Archipelago" encountering another birdwing butterfly called Ornithoptera croesus left him awe-struck and overwhelmed with emotion. This anecdote highlights the profound impact these creatures had on early naturalists like Wallace. The photograph reveals a fascinating aspect of these butterflies' behavior: males congregating near mineral-rich seeps while females remain predominantly in the canopy above. Previously misunderstood, it was once believed that female specimens were vastly outnumbered by males at a ratio of 1000:1; however, we now know that their numbers are more balanced. Paul D. Stewart's expertly captured image not only celebrates the beauty and diversity found in nature but also pays homage to significant figures such as Alfred Russel Wallace and Sir James Brooke who contributed greatly to our understanding of biology and taxonomy during the 19th century.
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