232 INSECTS INJURIOUS TO VEGETATION. 



dried, upon which it flies away in pursuit of companions and 

 food. 



This butterfly is the Papilio Asterias of Cramer. It is of a 

 black color, with a double row of yellow dots on the back ; a 

 broad band, composed of yellow spots, across the wangs, and a 

 row of yellow spots near the hind margin ; the hind wings are 

 tailed, and have seven blue spots between the yellow band and 

 the outer row of yellow spots, and, near their hinder angle, an 

 eye-like spot of an orange color with a black centre ; and the 

 spots of the under side are tawny orange. The female differs 

 from the male, above described, in having only a few small 

 and distinct yellow spots on the upper side of the wings. 

 The wings of this butterfly expand from three and a half to 

 four inches. 



During the month of July, the Asterias butterflies may be 

 seen in great abundance upon flowers, and particularly on 

 those of the sweet-scented Phlox. They lay their eggs, in this 

 and the following month, on various umbellate plants, placing 

 them singly on different parts of the leaves and stems. I have 

 found the caterpillars on the parsley, carrot, parsnip, celery, 

 anise, dill, caraway, and fennel of our gardens, as well as on 

 the conium, cicuta, slum, and other native plants of the same 

 natural family, which originally constituted the appropriate 

 food of these insects, before the exotic species furnished them 

 with a greater variety and abundance. Their injury to these 

 cultivated plants is by no means inconsiderable ; they not 

 only eat the leaves, but are particularly fond of the blossoms 

 and young seeds. I have taken twenty caterpillars on one 

 plant of parsley which was going to seed. The eggs laid in 

 July, and August, are hatched soon afterwards, and the 

 caterpillars come to their gi'owth towards the end of September, 

 or the beginning of October ; they then suspend themselves, 

 become chrysalids, in which state they remain during the 

 winter, and are not transformed to butterflies tfll the last of 

 May or the beginning of June in the following year. 



I know of no method so eflectual for destroying these 

 caterpillars as gathering them by hand and crushing them. 



