Samoan swallowtail, life history, sampling effort, 2013-2014

Surveys for immature life stages of Papilio godeffroyi were conducted on 117 individually marked host trees (Micromelum minutum) in eight forest stands on Tutuila Island, American Samoa, at approximately monthly intervals during 2013-2014. The eight sites were mostly in or adjacent to the National Park of American Samoa (NPSA), but one stand was located near the western tip of Tutuila, outside NPSA. Specimens of immature Papilio (eggs, eggshells, larvae, pupae) and exuviae were collected during surveys and taken to the laboratory at American Samoa Community College for analysis, and in the case of living specimens, rearing. Sampling effort was measured in terms of number, area, and dry weight of host plant leaves examined during each [...]