66 



THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF THE TRIBE TROIDES OF HUBNER, OR 



ORNITHOPTERA OF BOISDUVAL. 



PART I. 



When, in 1890, this Monograph was commenced, with two exceptions the whole of the species of this tribe then 

 known and accepted were included by Authors in the genus to which Boisduval had long before given the name 

 Ornithoptera. But for a considerable time the students of these wonderful insects had become accustomed to recognise 

 three distinct types of form, under two of which a fairly large number of species or sub-species naturally grouped 

 themselves. Hence the custom, which, for convenience sake, was established, of calling them the Priamus, the 

 Brookeanus, and the Pompeus groups. But these group names after all were only the adopted designations, each of a 

 set of forms wearing a certain livery, or adorned with a style of colouration and pattern, common to all, or nearly all, 

 the members of that coterie, whatever their specific distinctions might happen to be. The larger idea of some special 

 structure or character existing, of sufficient importance to justify such a separation into groups, which might ultimately 

 be recognised as subgenera or genera, does not appear to have been taken much into account. It had, for so long a 

 time, been considered that even the separation of the Ornithoptera from the huge Genus Papilio, was because in 

 personal appearance they so unmistakeably differed from the other members of that genus, rather than in any important 

 structural or anatomical characters. A similar plan has long been accepted in the systematic arrangement of the 

 Papilios, which it was found necessary to divide into a larger or smaller number of groups, according to the views of 

 different Authors, with group names, — though the more advanced students have since become convinced that Papilio 

 must be admitted to be composed of a considerable set of genera or subgenera, which may be created just as reasonably 

 as many of the genera that are made in other families of Diurnal or Heterocerous Lepidoptera. 



For a time this triad of Ornithopterous groups was found very convenient. We all knew that the Priamus group 

 contained only black, green and yellow ; violet, black, green and yellow ; or orange, black and green insects, all the 

 males of which bore a close resemblance or family likeness to 0. Priamus in pattern and outline, and generally in 

 colour; — that the Brookeanus Group meant any species with the facies of O, Brookeana ; — and that the black and 

 yellow forms, though often differing in size and pattern from 0. Pomptus,^ were nevertheless unmistakably members of 

 the Pompeus Group. In the case of the Priamus Group it Avas the opinion of the best entomologists that nearly all 

 the described species were little more than local varieties of the species Priamus, just as a good many of the black and 

 yellow forms could only be regarded as local forms or varieties of 0. Pompeus. There remained, however, one insect, a 

 female, quite unique, 0. Victories, and a second unique, a male, 0. Tithonus, which did not fit into either of these groups, 

 and whether the Victoria ? was the mate of the 3 Tithonus, or of another species, it was for many years impossible to 

 say ; at any rate neither of these curious insects would fit into either of the groups named above. It is shown in the 

 body of this work that they each represented a distinct genus — one preceeding and the other succeeding the Genus 

 Ornithoptera, — and were representatives of a different geographical realm. 



Latterly, and some little time before the commencement of this Monograph, one or two species of African Papilios 

 were suspected to belong to the Ornithoptera, although, in personal appearance, they seemed, prima facie, only to come 

 into some position well removed from this tribe ; these were Hewitson's P. Zahnoxis and White's P. Ridleyanus. Later 

 on a suggestion arose that Drury's P. Antimachus might also be an Ornithoptera, as will be seen in the body of this 

 work. But while I am obliged to include Zahnoxis and Antimachus, I am compelled to reject Ridleyanus. 



But since the commencement of this work, a very important series of insects belonging to the Ornithoptera have 

 been discovered — many of them in entirely new localities, some of which indeed had never before been explored for the 

 collection of zoological specimens, so far as we are aware ; the results being that it has been necessary to establish two 

 new genera for the reception of some of them ; that we have obtained a larger idea of the variety and wonderful 

 magnificence of these and other insects ; and that the geographical area which the different forms inhabit has been 

 enormously extended— a striking contrast to the knowledge of these insects possessed by our predecessors at the end 

 of the last, and beginning of the present, century ! At that time the Island of Ceram in the Moluccas was known to 

 contain 2 or 3 species, 0. Priamus (type form) and P. Hippolyius, &c. for example ; Java was known as the metropolis of 

 P. Pompeus and one or two more species of that genus, and a fictitious species Pap. Pseudopandarus* had been described 

 by Esper as coming from India. With perhaps one or two exceptions this then was the extent of the specific and 

 geographical knowledge of this tribe of butterflies possessed by the great entomologists of that day. 



Now, there is a whole series of species of Papilionida inhabiting South and Central America, and some of the 

 West Indian Islands, which are generally arranged just after the Ornithoptera, though hitherto they have been regarded 

 as true Papilios ; but a careful and comparative examination of these alongside of the Ornithoptera will enable us to 

 understand that they should be included among the latter, either as a sub-tribe, or at any rate a big genus of that tribe— 

 though I shall have to show at the end of the 2nd Vol. of this work that they belong to at least 2 genera. 



•Esper " Ausl Schmett," t. 40, f. 1 (1785— 1798); quoted also as Pan. Pandarus, Jabl. " Nature. Schmett." I., t. 6. f. 1 (17S3) ; " Godt. Eric. Mtth." IX., p. 27, n. 5 (1S19) ; Conf. 

 F ' 4 J Boisd. Sp. Gen. I., p. 1S1 (1836), India? 



