euphorion

2. Ssp. euphorion (Gray, 1853)¹⁹⁾ [♀], [♂: cassandra Scott, 1869⁵⁷⁾]

=cassandra Scott, 1864⁵⁶⁾ [♀] (Port Denison, Rockingham Bay, Queensland)

(Distribution) [Map 12]

AUSTRALIA [Queensland] Mount Webb Nat. Park, Endeavour R. basin, Cooktown, Cedar Bay area, Bloomfield, Daintree River basin, Mossman, Low Islets, Port Douglas, Barron R. basin, Holloways Beach, Cape Grafton, Kuranda, Cairns, Lake Tinaroo area, Lake Eacham area, Mulgrave R. basin, Atherton, Herberton, Russell River Park, Tully, Dunk I., Rockingham Bay area, Ingham, Herbert R. basin, Coolbie, Townsville, Bowen (Port Denison), Calen, Mt. Charlton, Mt. Blackwood, Eungella Nat. Park, Mackay.

(Episodes of discovery and original description)

In June 1842, Gray (1853) described it as a species of Papilio on the basis of several ♀ specimens collected by Allan Cunningham in the interior of northern Australia. Of these specimens, only one is now preserved in the British Natural History Museum. The subspecies name euphorion refers to Euphorion, son of Achilles and Helena, and ♂-f. cassandra to Cassandra, daughter of Priamus and Hecuba (Greek mythology).

(Characteristics)

This is the largest of the four subspecies of O. (O.) priamus from the Australian Continent and is a typical subspecies of the Priamus-Subspecies-Group.

(Spotted pattern)

♂: Both FW and HW rounded, HW with strongly wavy outer margin. FW with the zigzag submarginal band and without the median stripe. The black discal spots are large, but the black shading is mild.

♀: The ground color of the wings is blackish brown, and the spots are small, especially the pale band of HW are short and separate from each other.

(Variation)

There are many artificial hybrids and some of them are not natural aberrations, so care should be taken.

♂-f. /♀-f. weylandi Deslisle, 2004⁷⁾: [Artificial mutation] ♂: The Golden type, ♀: The extreme form of while color type. Wings are entirely white except for the black area of base and marginal border. (➡ssp. poseidon ♀-f. ishigakii )

♂-f. kogane K. Okano, 1980³⁸⁾ (=supermultispot von Knötgen, 1997⁵⁹⁾): [Artificial mutation] The wings are green with broad golden patches.

♂-f. beuriei Parrott & Deslisle, 1989⁴³⁾: [Aberrant FW/HW pattern] The radial band is narrow, and the anal / submarginal bands are absent on FW. HW with the broad black marginal border.

♂-f. detonnancouri Deslisle & Sclavo, 2008⁹⁾: [Aberrant FW/HW pattern] Similar to ♂-f. beuriei, but black scaling more extended, almost covering the cell on HW.

♂-f. elliotei Deslisle & Sclavo, 2015¹⁰⁾: [Aberrant FW pattern] The submarginal band is greatly reduced on FW; only four small green patches are present in the middle area.

♂-f. viridofusura Deslisle & Sclavo, 2015¹⁰⁾: [Aberrant FW pattern] The radial and the submarginal bands connected subapically on FW. (➡misoollae, hecuba)

♂-f. matsukai Deslisle & Sclavo, 2015¹⁰⁾: [Aberrant FW pattern/discoloration] Presence of some golden spots within the cell and the radial band. The patches of FW/HW are turquoise blue as sp. aesacus.

♂-f. aureomaculata Sumiyoshi, 1989⁵⁸⁾: [Aberrant HW pattern] HW with 6 submarginal semi-translucent golden spots, which are well developed and enlarged.

♂-f. cassandra, Haugum & Low, 1979²¹⁾: [Aberrant HW pattern] HW without submarginal semi-translucent golden spot.

♂-f. maculamalva Deslisle & Sclavo, 2015¹⁰⁾: [HW discoloration] Presence of three blue patches, one within the cell, and two within spaces 1b and 2 basally, moreover a red patch in the subcostal space on HW.

♂-f. otanii Deslisle & Sclavo, 2015¹⁰⁾: [HW discoloration] ♂-f. supermultispot with that the semi-translucent golden spots are largely surrounded by orange-brown scales on HW upper side, which change red on underside.

♀-f. atsukoae K. Okano, 1980³⁸⁾ (=supermultispot Deslisle & Sclavo, 2015¹⁰⁾): [Artificial mutation] Pale patches, especially on FW, are enormously extended. The variant ♀-f. supermultispot is intermediary the normal form and ♀-f. atsukoae.

(Larval foodplant)

Pararistolochia praevenosa, P. deltantha, P. australopithecurus.³⁰⁾