212 THE CANADIAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



A BLACK MALE OF PAPILIO TURNUS. 



Sir, — Having been a constant reader of the Entomologist for the 

 past ten or twelve years, I have never found anything published in your 

 valuable journal as regards the capture of a black male of Papilio Turnus. 

 In the annual report of the Entomological Society of Ontario, for 1889, on 

 page 38, Mr. Fletcher writes at some length in regard to the Tiger 

 Swallow-Tail butterfly (Papilio turnus). The statement to which I wish 

 to call your attention is on page 39, on the eleventh line from top of 

 page, where he says: " No specimen of the black tnale has ever been taken; 

 the only approach to this melanic form is a beautiful suffused variety." 

 No doubt but the author was about right, for I had examined other jour- 

 nals and had failed to find any account bearing upon this subject, as I 

 had one or two beautiful Papilios in my collection, and was uncertain as 

 to what they were. The other day I was out collecting, and to my great 

 surprise captured a beautiful $ and $ of lurnus in copulation, 

 so you see there is no question as to their identity. This beautiful black 

 male Turnus resembles Papilio Troilus in some respects, having its 

 wings black ; primaries with a marginal row of rich cream-coloured spots, 

 whereas in Troilus they are a light or pale yellow ; secondaries with 

 bluish lunules, while in 2roilus they are green, running along the margin. 

 The anal spot with a bluish crescent as in P. Palamedes and in P. 

 Cresphontes, while the anal spot in Troilus is entirely orange. Tails 

 slender and black. After being a collector of insects for the past twenty 

 years, both in the south and north, this was indeed the first golden opportu- 

 nity and I had the pleasure of the capture of a black male Turnus. Its dis- 

 tribution covers a wide area, reaching from the far north to the confines 

 of the tropics, going by the variety name Glaucus in the south, just in the 

 same manner as Papilio Machaon of the old world, which is to be found 

 in England, France, Germany, Northern India and Japan, and a huge 

 variety Hippocrates, of Northeast China, while P. Polydorus and P. 

 Alexanor, strictly of European origin, are limited to a much smaller 

 territory than either Turnus or Machaon. Whilst P. Rutulus and its 

 varieties Arizonensis and Ammoni, resembling in general appearance 

 Turnus, but somewhat smaller, and being distinguished by its having 

 the yellow band which runs along the posterior margin on underside of 

 primaries unbroken, while in Turnus it is disconnected, is found through- 

 out the Pacific states, P. Eurymedon, its var. Albanus, P. Daunus and 

 P. Pilumnus, all of which belong to the yellow tribe of Papilios, range 

 within the confines of the western states, while P. (Ebalus, which bears a 

 close resemblance to Turnus except that the yellow shows a slight tinge of 

 orange, is found in Mexico, and thus far, has never been found elsewhere 

 even as a winged visitor. More fully will these matters be treated of in 

 my forthcoming work on " The Geographical Distribution of Butterflies 

 and Moths." A. S. Van Winkle, Keota, Iowa. 



Mailed August 2nd. 



