PAPILIO PALAMEDES. Alis dentatis nigris, fasciâ maculari maculisque
marginalibus flavis; posticis caudatis, his subtùs ad basin vittâ albâ
transversâ rectâ lunulisque rufis. (Expans. Alar. 5 unc.)
SYN. Papilio (Eq. Achiv.) Palamedes, _Drury, App. v._ 2. (1773). _Cramer,
pl._ 93. _fig._ A. B.
Pap. (Eq. Ach.) Calchas, _Fabr. Syst. Ent. p._ 453. _No._ 44. (1775).
_Ent. Syst._ 3. 1. _p._ 30. _No._ 90. _Herbst. Pap. tab._ 42. _Boisduval,
Hist. Nat. Lep._ 1. 337. _No._ 178. _Bdv. et Leconte, Icon. Lep. Amer.
Sept. pl._ 5.
HABITAT: Carolina (_Drury_). Georgia, Virginia (_Bdv._).
_Upper Side._ Head, back, and abdomen dark brown; the latter striped on
the sides with yellow. Two yellow lines, beginning at the palpi, encircle
the eyes, and, running along the shoulders, end at the base of the
inferior wings. Anterior wings brownish black; the external margin with
small yellow crescents, above which are nine yellow round spots. Above
this is another irregular row of yellow angular spots. Posterior wings
brownish black, each with a tail. Above it are six yellow spots, reaching
from the anal to the upper corner, with five small blue spots above them,
above which a yellow irregular bar runs across the middle of the wing,
having a black spot, whose upper edge is verged with blue, placed at the
anal angle, with a small tinge of orange above and below it.
_Under Side._ Breast and thighs yellow. Abdomen striped with yellow and
dark brown. Anterior wings brownish black, with the same yellow spots and
marks as on the upper side. Posterior wings brownish black, with six
yellow spots near the external edge, having a mark of orange in the
middle of each, above which is a row of orange crescents joined together,
whose upper edges are silver, and below each of them is a black circular
spot, whose inner part is a fine shining blue, from whence appears a
great number of powder-like gray spots. The anterior edge next the
shoulders, has a small orange streak, near which an orange-coloured line
begins, running parallel with the abdomen.
{36}The caterpillar is described by Boisduval as living upon several
species of Laurus, and of a green colour, with pale blue spots, and scarlet
belly and legs, with a scarlet eye-shaped spot on each side of the third
segment. The chrysalis is gibbous, ferruginous on the back, with the belly
rose-coloured, and four rows of pale blue dots. I have reverted to Drury's
specific name, which has certainly the priority, as appears from the dates
which I have introduced amongst the synonyms. Dr. Boisduval has given
another species of this genus under the name of Palamedes, described by
Fabricius under that name, but considered by him to be a Nymphalis. This
latter species must consequently receive a new denomination.