38 



INSECTS OF SAMOA. 



the food-plant of the species in the Ellices, occurs commonly in Samoa, but, 

 since Fruhstorfer states (1912, p. 521) that the larva (presumably of the 

 Australian race) eats Plantago, Antirrhinum and Daphne, it is probable that 

 other races also are more or less polyphagous. 



12. Issoria sinha bowdenia (Butler). 

 Atella bowdenia Butler (M. K.), 1873, p. 687. 



Schmeltz, p. 186. 



Waterhouse, 1904, p. 493. 



Rebel, 1910, p. 419, PI. XVIII, figs. 7 and 8. 



Swezey, 1921, p. 603. 

 Atella bodenia ; Butler (A. G.), 1874, p. 283. 



Fraser, p. 149. 

 Atella korodenia ; Pagenstecher, p. 302. 

 Atella egista ; Herrich-Schaeffer, 1869, p. 71. 

 Issoria sinha boivdenia ; Fruhstorfer, 1912, p. 475. 

 Issoria sinha samoana Fruhstorfer, 1912, p. 475. 



Fruhstorfer described his I. sinha samoana from a single male from Samoa ; 

 judging from his description it was merely a variety of /. boivdenia, the type 

 locality of which is Tonga, and it seems very unfortunate that he should have 

 described it on such inadequate material. I have examined a long series of 

 this species both in the material brought home by me and in that in the British 

 Museum, and can find no constant difference between specimens from Samoa 

 and from Tonga. The only distinction which appears to be of any value is 

 that of size ; the maximum, mean, and minimum expanse of the forewings 

 are as follows : Tonga (nine specimens) 66, 63, and 60 mm., Western Samoa 

 (thirty-five specimens) 64, 58, and 46 mm., Tutuila (thirteen specimens) 68, 64, 

 and 56 mm. ; two males from Tau, American Samoa, measure 56 and 60 mm. 

 respectively. The difference does not appear sufficiently great to be significant. 

 In Fiji the species is represented by I. sinha vitiensis Waterh. 



This species was common in every month throughout the coastal region 

 in Western Samoa, and in Tutuila whenever visited, but was never very 

 abundant ; it also occurs, as noted above, in Tau. Though seen in February 

 and March 1925, at both Nukualofa and Neiafu in Tonga, it was not common 

 at either locality. It frequents the flowers of Morinda citrifolia (Rubiaceae) 

 and sometimes those of Lantana, but does not seem to care much for any other 



