Butterfly of the Week: Graphium Hicetaon

This week's butterfly is found on a few Pacific islands. Its name, Graphium hicetaon, commemorates a legendary prince of Troy. 

This snapshot by Michael Pennay may be the clearest photo of a living Graphium hicetaon yet published on the Internet. Though popular (apparently as an occasional visitor species) in Australia and Vanuatu, it's not native to either of those countries and not well documented online. It flits about smaller islands where less writing and publishing goes on. 

Its image has been used on postage: 

Stamp sheets for sale at https://4stampsales.com/solomon-islands-butterflies-4-stamp-sheet-souvenir-sheet-19m-062/

For sale at https://www.stampworld.com/stamps/Solomon-Islands/Postage%20stamps/1907-2016?page=18

One source gives its wingspread as about 10 cm, 4 to 4.5 inches. Females are larger than males and some authorities give its wingspread as 4.75 inches. In its range, as shown by the stamp sheets, it's not considered a very large butterfly. Males have scent folds on the inner edge of each hind wing.

Even the time of year when it flies is undocumented on Google. The islands on which it lives just are poorly documented.