PAPILIO THOAS. Alis suprà nigris, fasciâ communi lunulisque
submarginalibus flavis, posticis caudatis, his subtus maculâ discoidali
ferrugineâ lunulisque coeruleis. (Expans. Alar. 4 unc. 9 lin.)
SYN. Papilio (Equ. Ach.) Thoas, _Linn. Mant. p._ 536. _Fabr. Ent. Syst._
III. 1. _p._ 32. _No._ 94. _Cramer, pl._ 167. _fig._ A. B. _Latr. et God.
Enc. Méth._ ix. _p._ 62. 103. _Boisduval et Leconte Icon. Lep. Amer.
Sept. pl._ 12. _et_ 13. _Boisd. H. n. Lep._ 1. _p._ 355.
Var. Pap. Cresphontes, _Cramer_, 165, 166, A.
HABITAT: Surinam (_Drury_). Paraguay to Georgia (_Boisd._).
_Upper Side._ Thorax black. Two small yellow streaks extend from the eyes
to the shoulders. Abdomen yellow, with a black dorsal line; apex red
brown. Wings black, with deep yellow spots on them. A yellow bar, near
half an inch broad, begins at the middle of the superior wings, and
running parallel with the anterior edges, crosses the inferior ones just
below the shoulders. Several oval and oblong yellow spots are placed
between the tips and this bar. One also is situated close above it, near
the middle of the wing; being separated from it by the tendon, which is
black. Below the bar are four small spots, beginning at the interior
angle (the first being double). Posterior wings furnished with two black
tails, having a long yellow stripe in the middle. About a quarter of an
inch above the external edge is a row of six yellow spots, whereof one is
obscured by the anterior wing; there being but five shewn in the plate.
_Under Side._ The breast is ash colour. Anterior wings partly soot
colour, but principally yellow. A row of eight yellow spots is situated
within the external margin, and the yellow bar, observable on the upper
side, is not to be distinguished on this. Several small yellow lines rise
at the shoulders, and expanding like the sticks of a fan, occupy almost
the chief membrane of the wing. {41}Between these, and the row of eight
spots, are two large yellow patches, which nearly take up that middle
space, with black tendons crossing them like fine threads. Posterior
wings, next the shoulders, yellow, continuing to about the middle of the
wings. External margin soot-coloured; having a broad bar of yellow above
it, whose upper side resembles a row of arches. Above this is an
irregular black bar, running from the anterior edges, across the wings,
with two small scarlet streaks at the anal angles. On this bar is a row
of blue crescents, answering to and placed just above the arch-like bar
before-mentioned; and in the centre is a faint mark of scarlet.
The caterpillar of this butterfly feeds upon the orange-trees, from
Paraguay to Georgia. Its back is covered with large irregular white spots,
with brown marks, which extend along the middle and posterior parts of the
body. The chrysalis is of a bright brown, with several black dots.