Host Plants
Larvae of this species feed on the shell from which they hatched and then start to extract nutrients from pipe vines of the genus Pararistolochia (family Aristolochiaceae), including P. dielsiana and P. schlecteri. They feed initially on fresh foliage of the hostplants and their own eggs, ultimately ringbark the vine before pupating. Plants of the Aristolochiaceae family contain aristoloic acids in their leaves and stems. This is believed to be a potent vertebrate poison and is accumulated by larvae during their development. Adults feed at flowers providing a broad platform for the adults to land on, including Hibiscus.
Read more about this topic: Ornithoptera Alexandrae
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