Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Pepeae (Papilio godeffroyi), the endemic Samoan swallowtail butterfly is one of Tutuila’s rarest forest treasures and a symbol of island resilience.

Once widespread across Samoa, it now survives only in American Samoa’s native rainforests, closely tied to its host plant talafalu (Micromelum minutum).

Each sighting in the National Park of American Samoa reminds us to protect our forests, manage invasive species, and support conservation so future generations can still see Pepeae in the wild.