IUCN conservation status category: INDETERMINATE.
As many other birdwing species, Schoenbergia chimaera was discovered by Alfred Steward Meek, the adventurous naturalist whose collecting journeys were financed by Lord Rothschild. It was during a field trip to the southern part of the Owen Stanley Range, in the days of May 1903 that the species was found. Meek employed natives on his trips and fine series of female chimaeras were netted, shot down or captured with nets made of spiderwebs. Meek finally took the first male during his November 1901 - February 1905 expeditions at Angabunga River.
S. chimaera is the highest occurring member of the birdwing group. It inhabits damp, cool, moss gorges from 1,200 - 1,300 m. It seems to be most numerous around 1,600 - 1,800 m. Both sexes will frequent Hibiscus flowers. The 4 mm eggs are laid at Aristolochia momandul throughout its range.
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| Auctor: | Van Eecke, 1915 |
| Syn.: | dracaena Talbot, 1915 (nom. nud.) |
| Syn.: | dracaena Joicey & Talbot, 1916 |
| Syn.: | dracena Sharp, 1922 |
| Distribution: | Irian Jaya; Berau ( = Vogelkop) Peninsula, Weyland Mts., Sudirman (=Snow) Mts. |
| Etymology: | Charybdis refers to a dangerous maelstrom near Messina, Sicily. |
| Notes: |
| Described forms: | |
| mf. charybdis Van Eecke, 1915 | |
| mf. sagnifluens Rousseau-Decelle, 1935 | |
| mf. aurata Rousseau-Decelle, 1935 | |
| mf. confluenta Haugum & Low, 1979 | |
| mf. polyconfluenta Ohya, 1983 | |
| mf. quinquemaculata Parrott & Deslisle, 1986 |
| Auctor: | Rothschild, 1904 |
| Distribution: | NE Irian Jaya, N & E Papua |
| Etymology: | Chimaira was a she-goat, a fabulous fire-spouting monster in |
| Greek mytholgy. | |
| Notes: | Females of C.chimaera usually have their bodies covered by hair. |
| However, according to Alan Lanford, IFTA, females with both "hairy bodies" and | |
| "smooth bodies" can emerge from the same batch of eggs (ref. Ian Davies). |
| Described forms: | |
| mf. chimaera Rothschild, 1904 | |
| mf. confluenta Haugum & Low, 1979 | |
| mf. aurata Rousseau-Decelle, 1935 | |
| mf. dioni Deslisle & Sclavo, 2008 | |
| ff. excellens Haugum & Low, 1979 | |
| ff. herminae Rousseau-Decelle, 1935 | |
| ff. excellens Haugum & Low, 1979 |
S. chimaera flavidor | |
| Auctor: | Rothschild, 1913 |
| Distribution: | PNG; Huon Peninsula |
| Etymology: | Flavidor = yellowish, flavescent |
| Notes: |
| Described forms: | |
| mf. flavidor Rothschild, 1913 | |
| mf. aurata Rousseau-Decelle, 1935 |
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