It»
P L A T E 11.
PAPILIO ICAEIUS. WESTW.
( O R D E R — L E P I D O P T E R A . SECTION DIMINA. RHOFALOCEBA. BDV. )
Papilio alis anticis supra fusco-nigris fasciis longitudinalibus nigris ; posticis valde eloiigatis et dilatato-caudatis,
iiigris, macula mediaiia alba, maculistiue tribus magnis marginalibus mfis, inter caudam et marginem analem,
maculas iiigras includentibus ; alis subtus basi etiam rufis ; capite et oollari albido maculatis.
Papilio with the fore wings above brownish black, w t h black longitudinal fascite ; the hind wings much elongated
and dilated at the caudal part, above black, with a large wiiite patch in the middle, and with three large red spots
on the margin, between the tail and the abdominal edge, each bearing a black patch ; all the wings on the underside
have also their base broadly red, head and coUar with pale bufl' dots.
Expansion of the fore wings, 6 inches.
Inhabits Assam. In the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford.
D E S C R I P T I O N . — I N addition to tlie cliaracters given in tlie above specific descriiition, it maybe mentioned,
that the fore wings have a red dash at the base; the white patch of the hind wings occupies
the extremity of the discoidal cell, extending into four of the adjacent areas, and that the incisures on
the outside of the tail are red : the two inner ones lia-idng between them and the discoidal white patch
two small red spots; the red is of a In-ick colour, with a slight carmine tinge, and is irrorated fldth
white scales towards the margin of the wing. (It may be observed, that the great red patches
within the caudal extremity consist of the incism'al and submarginal rows of spots confluent, so as to
reduce the groiind-coloiu- of the wing between them to black insulated patches.) The underside of the
fore wings is of a pale black, with a greenish brown tinge, with slender longitudinal streaks ; they,
as well as the hind wings, have the base broadly saturated ndth a dark blood-red colour with white irrorations,
insulating two black patches between the black anal spot and the white discoidal spot. The
ground-colour of the hind wings is jet black; their outermost area has a small patch of blue scales
towards its extremity, and the preceding area has a small red dot outside the white one.
OBSERVATIONS.—Assam appears to be pre-eminently rich in the species of Papilio. A number of
new species, from this region and the neighbouring district of Sylhet, were figured in my "Arcana
Eutomologica," but none of them will bear comparison with the present insect, either for size or singularity
of form, owing to the extraordinary elongation of the hind wings and the short dilated tails.
In its general appearance it bears some resemblance to P. Bootes, Westw., (Arc. Ent. 1, pi. 31,)
especially in the red base of the wings on the underside; but the colour of the spots of the head, neck, and
underside of the body are different, agreeing, in the latter respect, as well as in the white central
patch of the hind wing, with P. Ilelenus. The specimen figm-ed is unique, and is contained in a
Collection of Assamese Insccts lately presented to the Ashmolean IMuseum, at Oxford.