boisduvalii

Ssp. boisduvalii Montrouzier, 1856³¹⁾ [♂, ♀]

= oceanus (Felder, 1864)¹⁶⁾[♂, ♀] (Woodlark (=Muyua) Is.)

(Distribution) [Map 23]

PNG [MBP] Madau Is., Woodlark (=Muyua) Is.

(Episodes of discovery and original description)

The French missionary Montrouzier published a long paper in 1851-1852 (the year of publication is uncertain, 1856 or 1857) on his findings on animals on Woodlark Island. The first section of that paper was on the genus Ornithoptera, and the first species listed was a new species he had discovered. He named the species after the famous French naturalist J. B. A. D. Boisduval and compared it to Priamus, Poseidon and Richmondia (De Richmond in the original), which were known at that time. However, he states that he does not know the ♀ of Priamus and Poseidon and compares the ♀ only to Richmondia.

(Characteristics)

The most eastly subspecies of the Poseidon-Subspecies-Group (The end of the second route). Blackened.

(Spotted pattern)

♂: The patches somewhat bluish in color. The submarginal band of FW is wavy, as in ssp. demophanes, and the median stripe is present. On the HW, the subcostal space and the base of wing are covered with black scales, and the semi-translucent golden spot are absent. The black marginal border is rather broad. The green spots on wing underside are reduced.

♀: Wing color blackish brown. The FW are without markings. The pale band on the HW are very reduced, separated from each other, and covered densely with brown scales. The undersides of the HW are not yellow.