42 



INSECTS OF SAMOA. 



Papillo godeffroyi ; Eebel, 1910, p. 419. 



Swezey, 1921, p. 605. 

 Papilio godefroyi ; Woodford, 1890, p. 89. 



Pagenstecher, p. 302. 



Semper's types came from Upolu ; in a short series from Upolu, Savai'i 

 and Tutuila there is almost no variation, and the specimens from the different 

 islands are inseparable. 



The species is never very common, but is found throughout the year in 

 many localities, from sea-level to at least 2,000 feet, in all parts of Western 

 Samoa and in Tutuila. Woodford states that he once took a specimen on one 

 of the eastern islands of Fiji ; this is probably the specimen recorded by 

 Herrich-Schaeffer (p. 79) from Ovalau, Fiji. The record has been discredited 

 by later writers, but, as Woodford was quite familiar both with this species 

 and with the Fijian P. schmeltzi, I see no reason to doubt his statement ; it 

 seems, however, to be the only record of the species from any locality outside 

 Samoa. It is least uncommon on the outskirts of thick forest, where it frequents 

 the flowers of Lantana and of Carica papaya (paw-paw or mummy-apple). A 

 very large proportion of the specimens seen are damaged, apparently by con- 

 tact with twigs in flight. This, when the insect is not alarmed, is rather 

 slow but powerful, and the butterfly frequently keeps high up round the upper- 

 parts of large trees ; the females are more easily captured than the males, since 

 they often fly only a few feet above the ground, apparently seeking a suitable 

 place for oviposition. They appear to be somewhat scarcer than the opposite 

 sex, my series including eleven of the latter and only six females. Schmeltz 

 (p. 191) states that Graeffe found specimens from the mountains in Upolu larger 

 than those from the coast ; I am not able to confirm this. 



A single egg was laid in my hand by a captured female ; this was almost 

 spherical, uniform pale brown above and dull yellowish beneath, the two colours 

 sharply separated ; there was no sculpturing, but the surface was slightly 

 rough. Diameter 0*75 mm., height 0*68 mm. The larva subsequently hatched, 

 but died. 



According to Mathew, the larvae " Fed perfectly exposed upon young- 

 stunted plants of Aralia* growing in shady and sheltered places." " The full- 



* Rechinger (Bot. und Zool. Ergebnisse einer wiss. Forschungsreise nach den Samoainseln, 

 etc. DenJcschr. K. Akad. Wissenschaft, Vienna, vol. 85, p. 323) does not record any species of 

 this genus from Samoa. He records several genera of the Araliaceae. 



