PLATE 1. Fig. 1.
_Boisd. Species gener. des Lepidop._, 173.--Papilio Priamus, _Linn.
Latr. Godart, Cramer_; _Papillons exotiques_, 23, A, B; _Donovan’s
Insects of India_, Pl. 3.
Female, Pap. Panthous, _Linn._; _Cramer_, 123, A, and 124, A; _Don.
Ins. of India_, Pl. 2.
Such a remarkable discrepancy exists in the appearance of the sexes,
that they were always regarded as separate species till lately, when
their proper relationship to each other happened to be ascertained.
The anterior wings of the male are deep velvety black, with two broad
longitudinal stripes of rich silky green, curved, and narrowing at
both extremities; between these stripes there is a large brownish spot
disposed longitudinally. The hinder wings are silky green, with the
posterior margin, and a series of four pretty large circular spots,
velvet-black; between the black spots and posterior border are two
orange spots, and another of larger size towards the base of the wing.
On the under side, the anterior wings have a macular band of gilded
green, formed of contiguous wedge-shaped spots, an irregular patch
towards the centre, and two streaks near the apex. The under side of
the hinder wings corresponds to the surface, but the green is of a
more golden hue, and the circular spots larger, and seven in number.
The antennæ, head, and thorax, black--the latter with a central line
and two posterior spots of golden green; breast spotted with red on the
sides; abdomen bright yellow.
The female is considerably larger, frequently measuring nearly eight
inches between the tips of the wings. The prevailing colour is dark
brown, deepening towards the extremities of the wings; the upper pair
traversed by a macular band of impure white, the spots unequal and
generally interrupted or notched; the hinder pair having a curved row
of six large wedge-shaped spots behind, of a whitish colour powdered
with black, the base tinged with yellow, and each with an orbicular
black spot in the centre. Head and thorax entirely black, the abdomen
whitish yellow above and deep yellow beneath.
Varieties of both sexes have occurred, for there seems little reason to
doubt that the insect figured by Guerin (_Voyage de la Coquille, Ins._,
pl. 13, fig. 1 and 2) under the name of _P. urvillianus_, is a variety
of the male, while a female variety is described by Boisduval[28]. In
the former, the green of the superior wings is replaced by violet-blue
of a very brilliant tint, and in the hinder part that colour runs in
a broad stripe along the nervures, dilating considerably towards the
posterior margin. This example was found at Offack.
The Priam butterfly is found in the islands of Amboina, Rawack, and
Ceram. It has been observed to hover about the _Mangifera Indica_ in
preference to other trees, and it has hence been conjectured that it
deposits its eggs on the leaves, and that they constitute the food
of the caterpillar. It never occurs in large numbers, and is hence
somewhat rare in collections. Specimens of both sexes are preserved
in the valuable collection of insects belonging to the Edinburgh
University Museum.