PAPILIO PI IX MX US. Boisduval. 
BO ISD. SR GEN. I. p. 340, n. 181, (1S36.) 
MENETRIES, CAT. MUS. PETR. LEP. II. p. 110, t. 7. f. 2. ( 1857. ) 
Male. Expands 3 J inches. 
Body yellow ; a broad black dorsal, narrow lateral and a broader ventne band ; antennae 
black. 
Upper surface, chrome yellow, primaries, costa narrowly black, five transverse black 
bands ; first basal, second extending from inner third of costal margin to same distance on 
inner ; third, a mesial and convergent band extending from the costa to first median nervule, 
covering the disco-cellular veins ; fourth, short situated midway between third and fifth 
. bands, extending from costa to first radial vein ; fifth and terminal one very broad, extending 
along whole outer margin, covering one-third of the whole area of the wing, containing two 
rows of imperfect yellow lunules, nearly confluent, outer ones large and distinct, the inner of 
segregated atoms. 
Secondaries, three transverse black bands, continuations of the first, second and fifth of 
primaries, first and second converging to a point on the abdominal margin about three-fourths 
its length and separated from the terminal border by two fulvous crescents, preceeded by a 
narrow yellow line, the outer band with six yellow long straight or lunulate bars all of 
which are more or less tinged with fulvous, interior to these the band is irrorated with four 
shining blue crescent-shaped patches, a black discal mark ; tri-tailed of which the outer is the 
longest and tapering, yellow cilise on inner side, other tails one-half and one-quarter the 
length of the outer one ; emarginations yellow. 
Under surface, paler than above, bands of upper surface repeated, but brown instead of 
black ; the six lunulate bars near outer margin of secondaries, fulvous ; on inner side these 
are joined by black, irregular shaped patches, which are in turn surmounted by shining blue 
crescents, edged above with black. 
I have seen but one female, and as nearly as I can recollect, she resembles the male very 
closely, but was larger, probably expanding four inches, or over. 
It is a matter of astonishment that so large and beautiful a butterfly of our own fauna 
should be so rare in X. American collections ; in fact, I know of but two examples ; the 
female above alluded to, which came from New Mexico, and is in the collection of Mr. W. 
H. Edwards, and the male, from which the accompanying figure was drawn, I received from 
Vera Cruz, Mexico. I have no better reason for giving an illustration of a butterfly that has 
been already both described and figured, than that I think it the finest of its genus found in 
North America, and, secondly, Menetries’ Catalogue is not a work likely to be found at every, 
book-stall and finally, must I confess it, I did not know that there was a plate of it, until, 
after I had drawn mine ; so if confession is good and wholesome, I trust I am somewhat 
benefited thereby if no one else is. 
