PIERIS II. 



PIERIS VERNALIS. 1—4. 



Picris VernaUs, Edwards, Proc. Ent. Soc. Phil. 1SG4. 



Male. Exisands 1.7 incli. 



Upper side white; primaries liave small black serrated spots at the extremi- 

 ties of the apical nerviires, preceded by an imperfect abbreviated row of small 

 black patches; a black bar on the arc. Secondaries more delicate, showing the 

 markings of under side. 



Under side of primaries white; the spots reproduced, but pale colored and 

 dilated, those at aj^ex tinged with greenish grey ; an additional black jiatch on sub- 

 median interspace, sometimes wanting. Secondaries have all the nervures broadly 

 edged with greenish grey so that none of the white surface appears except in nar- 

 row stripes in the cell and interspaces; near hind margin a band formed by grey 

 serrations connecting the nervules. 



Body above covered with blue grey hairs; beneath, thorax grey white, abdo- 

 men yellow; jialpi yellowish; antennae black above, annulated below with white; 

 club black tipped with ferruginous. 



Female. Expands 1.8 inch. 



Color less pure, similarly marked, the spots larger, the discal bar conspicuous : 

 secondaries show clusters of grey scales on costa and at outer angle and in the in- 

 terspaces on the margin ; under side as in the male. 



I have taken this species at Coalburgh, W. Va., in the month of March, it be- 

 ing one of the earliest butterflies of Spring, but it is exceedingly rare. I have also 

 received it from the vicinity of Philadelphia. It was brought by JNIr. Ridings, in 

 1864, from Colorado and may perhaps be much more abundant westward. It much 

 resembles Protodice, and would be usually taken for a variety of that species, but 

 besides its much earlier flight, it presents decided differences, being smaller, of a 

 less pure white and quite differently marked on the under side of secondaries. Its 

 nearest allies are Sysimbri, Bois., a Californian species, and Calyce, Edw., from 

 Nevada. 



