On the phenomena of variation and geographical distribution as illustrated by the Papilionidæ of the Malayan regionWallace, Alfred Russel
Science
On the phenomena of variation and geographical distribution as illustrated by the Papilionidæ of the Malayan region
Wallace, Alfred Russel
Papilionidae -- Malaysia -- Geographical distribution; Papilionidae -- Malaysia -- Variation
The differences of form are equally clear.
_Papilio Pammon_ everywhere on the continent is tailed in both sexes. In
Java, Sumatra, and Borneo, the closely allied _P. Theseus_ has a very
short tail, or tooth only, in the male, while in the females the tail is
retained. Further east, in Celebes and the South Moluccas, the hardly
separable _P. Alphenor_ has quite lost the tail in the male, while the
female retains it, but in a narrower and less spatulate form. A little
further, in Gilolo, _P. Nicanor_ has completely lost the tail in both
sexes.
_Papilio Agamemnon_ exhibits a somewhat similar series of changes. In
India it is always tailed; in the greater part of the archipelago it has
a very short tail; while far east, in New Guinea and the adjacent
islands, the tail has almost entirely disappeared.
In the _Polydorus_-group two species, _P. Antiphus_ and _P. Diphilus_,
inhabiting India and the Indian region, are tailed, while the two which
take their place in the Moluccas, New Guinea, and Australia, _P.
Polydorus_ and _P. Leodamas_, are destitute of tail, the species
furthest east having lost this ornament the most completely.
Western species, tailed. Eastern species (closely allied),
less tailed.
Papilio Pammon (India) tailed. P. Thesus (islands) very short
tail.
P. Agamemnon, var. tailed. P. Agamemnon, var. not tailed.
(India) (islands)
P. Antiphus (India, tailed. P. Polydorus (Moluccas) not tailed.
Java)
P. Diphilus (India, tailed. P. Leodamas (New not tailed.
Java) Guinea)
The most conspicuous instance of local modification of form, however, is
exhibited in the island of Celebes, which in this respect, as in some
others, stands alone and isolated in the whole archipelago. Almost every
species of _Papilio_ inhabiting Celebes has the wings of a peculiar
shape, which distinguishes them at a glance from the allied species of
every other island. This peculiarity consists, first, in the upper wings
being generally more elongate and falcate; and secondly, in the costa or
anterior margin being much more curved, and in most instances exhibiting
near the base an abrupt bend or elbow, which in some species is very
conspicuous. This peculiarity is visible, not only when the Celebesian
species are compared with their small-sized allies of Java and Borneo,
but also, and in an almost equal degree, when the large forms of Amboyna
and the Moluccas are the objects of comparison, showing that this is
quite a distinct phenomenon from the difference of size which has just
been pointed out.
In the following Table I have arranged the chief Papilios of Celebes in
the order in which they exhibit this characteristic form most
prominently. (See Plate VIII.)
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