54 THE REPORT OF THE No. 1» 



THE PAINTED LADY BUTTERFLY, 



{fyrameis Card id, L). 



By Jambs Fletcher, Ottawa. 



The irregularity in the appearance of the Painted Lady Butterfly has frequently been 

 noticed by entomologists. For several years the species will be scarce or almost unseen in a 

 locality, then suddenly large numbers will appear, winging their bold and fearless flight in every 

 direction, and will produce what, among collectors, has been called a "Painted Lady year. ' 

 This insect is one of _he very few which are identical with their European representatives, and 

 this one has a very wide distribution, being found, with very slight variations, almost all over 

 the Northern hemisphere. The sudden appearance of a swarm early m the season is due to the 

 migratory habit of this strong- winged fly. There are two broods in the season, as with most of the 

 Vanessians. When I was a boy in England, an annual excursion eagerly looked forward to was 

 a visit made to some caves at Upnor, on the River Medway, a few miles from Rochester. Late 

 in November or December, armed with an unnecessarily large supply of tallow candles and 

 matches, a select party of youthful aurelians used to hie to these caves for the unusual pleasure 

 of catching butterflies in waiter. Having reached the caves, we had to enter by crawling over 

 a mound which almost filled the mouth of the cave, when a comparatively large chamber was 

 found with three or four passages running oft' in diff'erent directions. Here the candles 

 were lighted. In small pockets along the passages,, hibernating specimens could always 

 be found of the Peacock Butterfly, Vanessa lo, and the small Tortoise-shell {Vanessa urtica') of 

 about the same size, and with very similar habits to our Canadian (V. Milbertii), to which in- 

 deed, unless the two are put side by side and compared, it bears a somewhat close superficial 

 resemblance. Occasionally in these forays, we were lucky enough to find a few Painted Ladies. 

 All the butterflies Avere hanging from the upper surface of the passages or crevices, with their 

 wings closely shut, and with the antennje drawn back between the wings. The Peacocks and 

 small Tortoise-shells were easily seen, owing to their dark colour, but the beautiful mottled 

 under-hides of the Painted Ladies made them rather hard to distinguish in the flickering candle 

 light. This butterfly cave was supposed to be a very secret hunting t round, and all who visited 

 it were in honour bound only to take such specimens as were perfect, and only just so many as 

 they actually re(|uired,' 



The Vanessians hibernate in the same way in this country, not only in caves but in hollow 

 trees and in buildings. Grapta j -album and Vanessa Antiopa I have frequently hibernated arti- 

 ficially in a rather dark unused attic, or in a woodtn box behind a fence out of doors. This 

 habit of hibernating in the perfect state is accountable f • .r most of the occasional notices in 

 newspapers of the appearance of butterflies in warm days during the winter. 



Last spring the Painted L'dy was, not uncommon at Ottawa in early June, but was not 

 noticed with Vanessa Antiopa, Grapta j-album and Grapta Progne, sipping maple and birch sap 

 in May. The butterflies came suddenly in June ; all through the month, until the new brood 

 appeared about the middle of July, they were a conspicuous feature of the woodland, along 

 roads, in gardens, and in clover fields. The flight of the Painted Lady is quick and irregular ; 

 it seldom stays long in the same place, flying hap-haztird from flower to flower in a most unbusi- 

 ness-like manner, always ready for a gambol with another of its kind, dashing close past or 

 circling round and round a new comer. It flies, too, la';er in the evening than any butterfly I 

 have observed, and at that time of the day seems to delight to settle on buildings. Two or 

 hree specimens will sometimes choose the same tower of observation, over and around which they 

 will chase each other apparently with great delight, stopping occasionally in their wild flight, 

 and soaring upwards opposite to each other like two boys, sparring for several seconds at a 

 time. Not only will these intrepid insects dash at other butterflies, but they seem particularly 



