INJURIOUS AND BENEFICIAL INSECTS OP CALIFORNIA. 455 



of the host plants. In a month they become full grown and then 

 attach themselves by the tail-end to a stem or other suitable place 

 and transform to chrysalids, which change into butterflies about two 

 weeks later. There are one or two broods a year. The winter is 

 passed in the pupal stage. 



Nature of Work. — The caterpillars feed upon the foliage, often 

 stripping off all of the leaves. 



Distribution. — This butterfly is widely distributed and may be 

 found in all parts of the State. It is specially abundant in the 

 Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys. 



Food Plants. — The natural food plants of this insect are various 

 species of UmbellifercB, the most favored ones being celery, parsley, 

 Fceniculum vulgare and Carum kelloggii. In the Porterville section. 

 as well as in the vicinity of Riverside, it has been claimed that the 

 larvae feed upon orange trees. 321 



Control. — The caterpillars occur singly and in rather few numbers 

 upon the trees, but their ravenous appetites and ability to consume 

 great amounts of foliage often make control necessary. As they 

 are easily located, hand picking is the remedy recommended. 



Natural Enemies. — Fortunately natural enemies play a large part 

 in the control of this insect, otherwise greater damage would be done. 

 Mr. Karl R. Coolidge, 321 who first called attention to it as an orange 

 pest, states that a tachina fly and a species of Apanteles prey upon 

 the larva?. 



THE IMPORTED CABBAGE WORM" 



Pontia rapw (Linnaeus) (Family Pieridse) 



[Pieris rapw (Linnaeus)] 



(PapiUo rapw Linnaeus) 



(Figs. 466, 467) 



Description. — Though this is an imported pest, it has become as 

 common as if it had always been here. The butterflies are white, 

 i inch long and with a wing expanse of 2 inches. The tips of the 

 front wings are black or dusky. The females have two dark spots on 

 each front wing and one near the front margin of the hind wing, while 

 the males have a single black spot near the middle of each front wing 

 and a spot on the hind wing similar to that of the female. The eggs 

 are white or pale yellow, pointed with a rather wide, flat base, and 

 the surface is distinctly ribbed. The caterpillars are light velvety 

 green, covered with many minute black specks. "When full grown they 

 are from 1 to H inches long. The chrysalids vary from yellowish 

 green to gray and are about 1 inch long. 



Life History. — In the northern part of the State the species winters 

 over in the pupal stage, while in the south adult butterflies may be 

 seen almost any time of the year. They become very much in evidence 

 earlv in March and are active throughout the entire summer and fall. 



-'P. C. Jr. Ent. Vol. I, p. 334, 1910. 



82s There are five other species of Pontia which attach cruciferous plants In Cali- 

 fornia. Of these the southern cabbage butterfly, Pontia orotodice (Boisd.), is some- 

 times a serious cabbage pest. It is easily .separated from P. rap<e < Linn.) by the large 

 number of black spots on the wings, as shown in Fig. 46S. 



