1) Samoan Swallowtail Butterfly- It is endemic to the Samoan archipelagos, but it is now locally extinct on Upolu and Savaii, and only present on the American Samoan island of Tutuila.
- Due to its large size and fast movements it is sometimes mistaken for a small bird.
Habitat: It has a large habitat range, from urban areas to undisturbed forests.
Conservation Status: The Samoan Swallowtail is now Critically endangered (IUCN Global Status).
2) Blue Moon Butterfly
Scientific Name: Hypolimnas Bolina
Did you know?
Female
- It is a black bodied butterfly with a wingspan of up to 75-80mm and has a high degree of sexual dimorphism, the female has the ability to mimic other species.
- The Blue Moon Butterfly is very maternalistic; the females are known to guard the leaves where their eggs have been laid. The males are known to be very territorial, and it has been shown that their fidelity to a site increases with age.
Habitat: It is found in lightly wooded areas, deciduous forests, thick and moist scrub and the greener parts of urban areas.
Male
Conservation Status: This butterfly was severely threatened by a parasite on Upolu and Savai’i. The parasite only affected the male members. By 2001 the male Blue Moon Butterfly only made up 1% of the population, however in an evolutionary leap the males developed an immunity to the parasite in only 6 years and this enable the species to increase the male population to 40%.
samoaconservationsociety.wordpress.com 