Order: Lepidoptera. Section: Diurna. Family: Papilionidæ, Leach.
Genus: Papilio, Auct.
Papilio Thoas. Alis suprà nigris, fasciâ communi lunulisque submarginalibus flavis, posticis caudatis, his subtus maculâ discoidali ferrugineâ lunulisque cœruleis. (Expans. Alar. 4 unc. 9 lin.)
Syn. Papilio (Equ. Ach.) Thoas, Linn. Mant. p. 536. Fabr. Ent. Syst. III. 1. p. 32. No. 94. Cramer, pl. 167. fig. A. B. Latr. et God. Enc. Méth. ix. p. 62. 103. Boisduval et Leconte Icon. Lep. Amer. Sept. pl. 12. et 13. Boisd. H. n. Lep. 1. p. 355.
Var. Pap. Cresphontes, Cramer, 165, 166, A.
Habitat: Surinam (Drury). Paraguay to Georgia (Boisd.).
Upper Side. Thorax black. Two small yellow streaks extend from the eyes to the shoulders. Abdomen yellow, with a black dorsal line; apex red brown. Wings black, with deep yellow spots on them. A yellow bar, near half an inch broad, begins at the middle of the superior wings, and running parallel with the anterior edges, crosses the inferior ones just below the shoulders. Several oval and oblong yellow spots are placed between the tips and this bar. One also is situated close above it, near the middle of the wing; being separated from it by the tendon, which is black. Below the bar are four small spots, beginning at the interior angle (the first being double). Posterior wings furnished with two black tails, having a long yellow stripe in the middle. About a quarter of an inch above the external edge is a row of six yellow spots, whereof one is obscured by the anterior wing; there being but five shewn in the plate.
Under Side. The breast is ash colour. Anterior wings partly soot colour, but principally yellow. A row of eight yellow spots is situated within the external margin, and the yellow bar, observable on the upper side, is not to be distinguished on this. Several small yellow lines rise at the shoulders, and expanding like the sticks of a fan, occupy almost the chief membrane of the wing. Between these, and the row of eight spots, are two large yellow patches, which nearly take up that middle space, with black tendons crossing them like fine threads. Posterior wings, next the shoulders, yellow, continuing to about the middle of the wings. External margin soot-coloured; having a broad bar of yellow above it, whose upper side resembles a row of arches. Above this is an irregular black bar, running from the anterior edges, across the wings, with two small scarlet streaks at the anal angles. On this bar is a row of blue crescents, answering to and placed just above the arch-like bar before-mentioned; and in the centre is a faint mark of scarlet.
The caterpillar of this butterfly feeds upon the orange-trees, from Paraguay to Georgia. Its back is covered with large irregular white spots, with brown marks, which extend along the middle and posterior parts of the body. The chrysalis is of a bright brown, with several black dots.