BUTTERFLY OF THE ORANGE. 17 



CHAPTER CVL 



Butterfly of the Orange. 



(Pcfpilio Anactus, Macleay.) 

 Order : Lepidoptera. Family : Papilionidce. 



This is a handsome but very destructive caterpillar, 

 whose favourite food plant would appear to be the foliage 

 of Orange trees. The late Hon. William Macleay first 

 described the insect, giving particulars as to its life history, 

 &c. : — "A cylindrical caterpillar, slightly tapering towards 

 each end (see Fig. III.), reaching a length of lj inches ; 

 on the back are two rows of spines extending the whole 

 length of the body, each segment bearing two. The 

 third and fourth segment each bear an additional smaller 

 spine below the former one. The colour of the segments 

 is blackish-brown, with a few small yellow spots between 

 them and at the side ; a large infero lateral yellow spot 

 on the fifth and on each of the seg nents posterior to it. 

 The external aspect of the abdominal prolegs and a spot 

 at the base of each thoracic leg are also yellow. The fork- 

 like tentacle on the neck is orange-yellow. (As the larva 

 is somewhat difficult to figure correctly, the above descrip- 

 tion is given to enable any one to recognise it should it ap- 

 pear upon their citrus trees.) The chrysalides (see Fig. IV.) 

 are of a dirty white, with greenish blotches. The chrysalis 

 is attached by its tail end, and is held in position by a loop 

 of silk-like material surrounding the body at the junction 

 of the thorax and abdomen." 



The perfect insect is not likely to be mistaken for any 

 other Victorian butterfly ; the female, as usual in butter- 

 flies, is larger chan the male. The eggs are deposited here 

 and there upon the leaves of the orange, and, although 

 small, are readily detected by the naked eye. The grubs 

 are very voracious, and a few of these will strip a fair-sized 

 plant of its foliage in a very short space of time. Ander- 

 son and Spry state that the larval stage lasts about a 

 month, and the chrysalis only ten days. 



