%\}t Canadian ©ntomobgisi 



VOL. V. LONDON, ONT., MARCH, 1873. No. 3 



ON SOME OF OUR COMMON INSECTS. 



III. CABBAGE BUTTERFLIES. 



BY THE EDITOR. 



The next species of Pieris on our list — the Rape Butterfly (P. rafice, 

 Linn.,) though an European insect, is rapidly becoming one of our com- 

 monest and most destructive species, especially in the Eastern portion of 

 the Dominion. The history of its arrival near Quebec in some ocean 

 steamship, its discovery by Mr. Couper in 1859, its capture in abundance 

 at Quebec by Mr. Bowles, in 1863, and its subsequent rapid spread in all 

 directions is probably well known to all our readers. It is needless, then, 

 for us to dwell upon it here ; we may merely state further that it had 

 reached the city of New York in 1869, Halifax, N. S., in 187 1, and last 

 year it had come as far west as Belleville and Trenton, Ont. We fully 

 expect to see it at Port Hope this year ! 



The Rape Butterfly, like the preceding species, is white, with a black 

 dash at the tip of the forewings, a black spot on the front margin of the 

 Ti s- 8 - hind wings, and in the male (Fig. 8) 



one black spot in the middle of the 

 forewings, but in the female (Fig. 9) 

 two. The under surface of the 

 forewings, in both sexes, is marked 

 by two spots, corresponding to 

 those on the upper surface in the 

 female ; in other respects the wings 

 are much alike on both sides, except that beneath there is a tint of yellow 

 at base and tip. Occasionally male specimens are found of a bright yellow 

 colour, like our common Sulphur-yellow Butterfly (Colias philodice) ; to 



