PAPILIO SINON. Alis nigris, fasciis communibus virescenti-albis, posticis
lunulis sex submarginalibus virescenti-albis anguloque ani rubro.
(Expans. Alar. 3 unc. fere.)
SYN. Papilio Sinon, _Fabr. Syst. Ent. p._ 452. _Ent. Syst._ III. 1. _p._
26. 75. _Cramer, tab._ 317. _fig._ C. D. E. F. _Ency. Méth._ ix. _p._ 53.
_Boisduv. Hist. Nat. Lep._ 1. _p._ 260.
Papilio (Eq. Achiv.) Protesilaus, _Drury_, _App. vol._ 2.
HABITAT: Jamaica (_Drury_). Florida, Cuba (_Boisduv._). North America
(_Enc. Méth._).
_Upper Side._ The thorax black; the hair thereof greenish. Abdomen black.
All the wings black; posterior ones being furnished with two tails, edged
with white. Close to the shoulders, in the anterior wings, rises a stripe
of sea-green, which crosses the inferior ones; and, running parallel with
the abdominal margin, ends near the extremity of the body. A little below
this is a small scarlet spot, placed near the anal angle; with two
smaller spots, of a green colour, below it. At a little distance from the
shoulders, a second green stripe, rather broader than the first, begins
at the posterior edge of the anterior wings, and crosses the inferior
ones, parallel with the first, being continued a little lower. On the
anterior wings, about the middle of the anterior edge, rises a bar, of a
fine sea-green colour, which crossing both wings, terminates at the
middle of the posterior, being narrowest at each end. A row of eight
white spots runs parallel with the external edge, ending at the lower
corner. Near the external edges of the posterior wings is placed a row of
five crescents, of a green colour.
_Under Side._ Breast and abdomen grey-coloured. Anterior wings light
chesnut, having a darker cloud near the anterior angle. All the green
spots and marks, seen on the upper side, are also visible here. The
ground of the posterior wings is rather paler than the anterior; and the
green marks and stripes are rather larger here, than on the upper side.
The scarlet spot, on the abdominal edge, is considerably larger on this
side. A scarlet stripe also begins on the anterior edge, and fills
completely the space between the broad green bar and the second stripe,
mentioned above, extending as low as the extremity of the body. The two
scollops, next the abdominal corner, are black; whereon appear a few blue
powder-like specks.
{42}M. Boisduval states that Drury's figure is "peu exacte." It is true,
indeed, that the figure does not agree with the description given by that
author, who describes the fourth pale fascia as "bifide dans la cellule
discoidale des premières ailes." The exact uniformity in the shape of this
fascia, in both of Drury's figures, renders its correctness evident, and
consequently the insect figured by Drury must be regarded as a variety of
the species described by Boisduval.