THE ENTOMOLOGIST 



Vol. XXXIX.] SEPTEMBER, 1906. [No. 520. 



LIFE-HISTORY OF PIERIS DAPLIDICE. 

 By F. W. Frohawk, F.E.S., M.B.O.U. 



On October 3rd, 1901, I received, from Hyeres, four Pieris 

 daplidice females, but only one reached me alive, and in a very 

 feeble condition ; therefore, I immediately fed it with sugar and 

 water. After drinking for about fifteen minutes it considerably 

 revived. I then placed it on some mignonette (Reseda odorata) 

 in the sun, when she at once commenced depositing, and in a 

 short space of time (about half an hour) about three dozen eggs 

 were deposited on various parts of the plant, but most were on 

 the under side of the leaves. Those laid upon the bloom exactly 

 resemble the anthers in size and colour. They are laid singly, 

 and stand erect. 



Again, on October 8th, Mr. F. Raine kindly sent me three 

 more females from Hyeres. These deposited a few eggs on the 

 morning they arrived (October 10th), and continued depositing 

 daily when the sun shone sufficiently. 



The egg is y\f in. high, of an elongated conical shape, widest 

 at the middle, and slightly concaved directly below the apex ; the 

 extreme summit is flat and finely pitted in the centre ; there are 

 thirteen or fourteen (usually thirteen) longitudinal keels, all 

 running the entire length, and about thirty transverse ribs ; 

 both these and the keels are of ghstening whiteness. When first 

 laid the colour is a light yellowish green ; it gradually turns 

 yellower, and on the third day assumes an orange colour, and 

 finally, on the fourth day, attains a deep orange (not one out of 

 the large number of eggs I obtained was of the colour described 

 by Buckler, and quoted by recent authors, as being " bright 

 pinkish red colour," nor is the newly-hatched larva red, as stated 

 by Tutt, * British Butterflies,' p. 241). The egg is wonderfully 

 similar to that of Euchloe cardamines, but has not the trans- 

 parent elongated apex, and all the keels in daplidice run to the 

 summit, whereas in cardamines some vanish before reaching it. 



ENTOM. — SEPTEMBER, 1906. 8 



