Battus polydamas (Linnaeus, 1758)

Blue Mountains, Jamaica; August 1977 ssp. jamaicensis	Guadeloupe, May 1980  ssp. neodamas
Gallows Bay, St Croix, USVI  Feb 2000  ssp thyamus	Gallows Bay, St Croix, USVI  Feb 2000  verso
Ranacca Dry River, 1km N of Georgetown, Charlotte Parish, St Vincent   ssp vincentus	3km SW of La Francoise, Martinique   March 1992 ssp. xenodamas  female
3km SW of La Francoise, Martinique  Sept 27 1992  ssp xenodamas  bronze morph  (rare)	"St Lucia" Jan 1930   ssp lucianus
SW Grenada Jan 20 2001 ssp grenadensis	SW Grenada Jan 20 2001 ssp grenadensis underside
El Manzano, Chile; 11/95 ssp. archidamus
Bagua Grande, Nororiental d. Maranon, Peru, 1400 meters  ssp streckerianus pair male top, female bottom	Bagua Grande, Nororiental d. Maranon, Peru, 1400 meters  ssp streckerianus underside male
Rio Urubamba, Peru ssp weyrauchi male	Rio Urubamba, Peru ssp weyrauchi female  verso

    Common and widespread from the US south to Argentina. Very distinct forms are found in isolated and rare populations in the Andean deserts, some of which may deserve to be ranked as separate species. Different subspecies occur on many islands of the Caribbean as well ( forms from Jamaica, St Croix,  Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Vincent, and St Lucia are shown). Also shown is the Chilean ssp archidamus (psittacus), often regarded as a distinct species. Below is the rare and very restricted form streckerianus from the Peruvean Andes (Rio Maranon 1400 meters), which is still considered by many to be a distinct species. Also illustrated is the subspecies weyrauchi (attributed to either polydamas or streckerianus depending on your preference)from the Cuzco area of Peru. Although technically in the "streckerianus group" it is clearly closer phenotypically (and geographically) to archidamas, furthur supporting the concept of a single wide ranging species or "super-species" (polydamas) which can diversify and specialize when populations become geographically isolated (this very clearly happens throughout the Carribean) as they have in the valleys of the Peruvian andes. I would not be surprised if new forms turn up in semi arid biotopes of Ecuador and Colombia, though these areas need further exploration.