PAP. POLYDAMAS. Alis dentatis, nigro-virescentibus, fasciâ communi
interruptâ flavâ, posticis subtus maculis linearibus flexuosis rubris,
tribus argenteis adjectis. (Expans. Alar. unc. 4.)
SYN. Pap. Polydamas. _Linn. Syst. Nat._ 2. 747. _No._ 12. _Merian.
Surinam. pl._ 31. _Cramer Pap._ 18. _p._ 33. _pl._ 211. _f._ D. E.
_Herbst. Pap. t._ 10. _f._ 6. 7. _Boisd. et Leconte Icon. des Chen. de
l'Amer. Sept. pl._ 1. _Boisd. Hist. Nat. Lep._ 1. 321. _No._ 162.
HABITAT: America, from Georgia to Brazil, Antigua (_Drury_).
_Upper Side._ The head and thorax are black; with two red spots on the
neck, and two small white spots at the base of the antennæ. All the wings
are scolloped, and of a dark green colour. The anterior wings have a row
of yellow spots rising near the tips, which, running across the middle of
the inferior ones, in a circular manner, meet at the extremity of the
body; some of them being shaped like the bearded points of arrows. The
hollow or concave part of each scollop, in the inferior wings, is edged
with yellow.
_Under Side._ The head, breast, feet, and abdomen are black; with several
red spots on the sides, abdomen, and shoulders. All the wings are black;
the anterior having some of the yellow spots that are seen on the upper
side; with seven irregular red spots, placed along the edge of each
posterior wing, and three silver spots or marks joining to the second,
third, and fourth.
Linnæus states, that this insect inhabits the Hibiscus mutabilis. By other
authors it is stated to feed upon the Aristolochia Serpentaria, or
Virginian snake-root. The caterpillar is brown, with fleshy spines of the
same colour, and red stripes, each segment also being ornamented with four
eye-like spots, half yellow and half red.