Man, I feel like a woman! Incredibly rare 'half male and half female' Great Mormon Butterfly hatches in St Albans 

  • The Great Mormon Butterfly hatched at Butterfly World in St Albans, Hertfordshire with its unusual colouring 
  • Expert lepidopterists said the different coloured wings show that the butterfly is actually half male and half female 
  • Unfortunately, the butterfly is believed to be infertile and will die sooner than normal because of damaged organs
  • The chance of a butterfly hatching half male and half female is about a one in 10,000 chance or 0.01 per cent  

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This is the incredibly rare half male, half female butterfly which has been discovered in Hertfordshire. 

The Great Mormon was found by staff in Bufferfly World in St Albans Hertfordshire. 

According to the experts at the centre, the chances of a butterfly hatching half-male and half-female is about only one in 10,000 or 0.01 per cent.  

The Great Mormon Butterfly, pictured, was born half male and half female, denoted by its different colouring which is split down the middle

The Great Mormon Butterfly, pictured, was born half male and half female, denoted by its different colouring which is split down the middle

The male Great Mormon Butterfly, pictured, can be identified dark coloured wings unlike its more colourful female mate 

The male Great Mormon Butterfly, pictured, can be identified dark coloured wings unlike its more colourful female mate 

The female Great Mormon Butterfly, pictured, has a yellow hue across its wings with pink spots near the leading edge

The female Great Mormon Butterfly, pictured, has a yellow hue across its wings with pink spots near the leading edge

An 'extremely rare' half male, half female butterfly has been found in Hertfordshire.

The Great Mormon's sex division occurs straight down the middle of the abdomen giving it different wing patterns.

Its male left side is almost completely black while the right female side has a small patch of red and some yellow colouring. 

Lepidopterist Louise Hawkins said the phenomenon happens 'very early on' in the development of a butterfly when the 'sex chromosomes don't divide properly'.

It makes the creature infertile and they generally tend to have a shorter life span as their internal organs will be 'a bit mixed up'.

The centre hope visitors will be able to see the butterfly over the next few days. 

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