118 THE VICTORIAN NATURALIST. [Vol. XXV. 



A NEW FORM OF PAPILIO FOR AUSTRALIA. 

 By G. a. Waterhouse, B.Sc, B.E., F.E.S. 



(Read he/ore the Field Naturalists^ Club of Victoria, Vlth Oct., 1908.) 



It is but seldom that an entomologist has the pleasure of record- 

 ing a new butterfly of large size from Australia, especially a new 

 form of Papilio. It has long been known that Papilio ormenus, 

 Gue'rin, of New Guinea, is a polymorphic species. In addition to 

 the typical male and typical' female, no fewer than two other 

 forms of male and three other forms of female have received 

 distinctive names. For several years I have suspected a similar 

 condition of things in the case of Papilio cegeus, Don. (so long 

 known in Australia as P, ereclheus, Don.) though probably in a 

 lesser deg'ree. I have now the satisfaction of describing a second 

 and very distinct form of the female of Papilio ccgeics, from the 

 extreme north of Queensland. This new capture corresponds to 

 the female form nmanga of Papilio ormenus. 



For this important and highly interesting form. I propose, in 

 honour of my wife, the name of 



Papilio Beatrix. 



Female. — Length of costa of fore-wing, 70 mm. 



Above. — Fore-wing creamy-white, with veins and interneural 

 streaks marked with dark-brown ; costa towards the base very 

 dark-brown, that colour extending into the upper part of basal 

 end of cell ; a dark spot at upper distal end of cell ; apical area 

 broadly brown, extending as a sinuous brown band along the 

 termen ; on termen between the veins, a row of pale yellowish 

 semicircular spots, diminishing in size towards the apex, and a 

 double spot between veins i and 2. Hind-wing. — Base and 

 central area white, extending as an obscure pale band above vein 

 7 ; costal area brown ; termen broadly darker brown, marked 

 with two series of pale spots ; the first pale yellowish, l^mi- 

 circular, interneural on the termen ; the second subterminal, con- 

 sisting of a large yellow anal spot, three paler yellow elongate 

 spots barely separated by veins 3 and 4, one spot (joined to the 

 white central area), upper half orange, lower half white, between 

 veins 5 and 6, an orange spot between veins 6 and 7, and 

 another between veins 7 and 8 ; the large dark areas above spots 

 between veins 2 and 3 and 3 and 4 sprinkled with blue scales. 



Jjelow. — Fore-wing whiter than above, the dark apical area less 

 extensive ; basal third of wing dark brown. Hind-wing as above, 

 except that the white area extends as a broad white band between 

 veins 7 and 8 ; the costal area is darker, the upper two spots of 

 the subterminal band are darker, the third spot is not connected 

 with the white central area, and there is a complete discal series 

 of blue scalings. 



Thorax brown : abdomen above buff, below dark brown, with 

 a central paler line. 



