173. 



GONEPTERYX RHAMNI. 



The Brimstone Butterfly. 



Order Lepidoptera. Fam. Papilionidae Lat., Leach. 

 Type of the Genus Papilio Rhanini Linn. 

 GoNEPTERYx Leocli., Sum. — Colias Fab., Lat. — Pieris Schr. — Papilio 

 Linn., Haw. 



AnienncE inserted upon the crown of the head, rather short and 

 robust, cylindric, clavate, the obconic club not compressed (fig. 1 ) . 

 Labrum and Mandibles attached to the nasus or clypeus. 

 MaxillcE spiral, more than twice the length of the antennae (3). 

 Labial Palpi porrected obliquely (7*4), obtuse, producing long 

 scales beneath which meet and cover the maxillae (7, 4) ; 3-jointed, 

 basal joint recurved, robust, 2nd robust subovate, 3rd small co- 

 nical (4 a). 

 Head rather small with a long erect tuft of scales upon the forehead (7*). 

 Eyes ovate, not pubescent. Thorax large. Wings large angulated, 

 inferior ones grooved on the abdominal margin to receive the body. 

 Feet alike in both sexes. Tarsi 5 -jointed, basal joint long, 2nd and 

 3rd short of equal length, 4th very small, 5th longer (8, afore leg). 

 Claws bijid. Pulvilli slender (Sf). 

 Larvae elongated naked, with 6 pectoral, 8 abdominal and 2 anal feet. 

 Pupae short, robust, angular, thorax and underside very convex, beak 

 sharp, attached by the tail and loosely girted round the middle. 



Rhamni Var. 



Male : Antennae and upper surface of palpi and tuft on head dull 

 rose colour. Wings deep yellow, each having an orange spot 

 towards the centre, those on the upper wings being the smallest : 

 superior wings clouded, minutely dotted and streaked with orange, 

 the nervures partaking of the same colour, inferior wings with a 

 greenish tinge towards the base, less clouded and dotted with 

 orange. Beneath pale sulphur with a very faint rosy tinge, the 

 central spot of each wing pale shining brown, the edges darker, 

 forming an ocellus, a row of rosy dots upon the external margins 

 and another of brown dots parallel to them. 

 In the Cabinet of Mr. Haworth. 



Dr. Leach, who first estabUshed the genus Gonepteryx, gave 

 no other character to distinguish it from Colias than the angu- 



