THE TRIBE OF THE WHITES 83 



THE TRIBE OF THE T^THTES 



Three white butterflies of approximately the same size 

 are found widely distributed over the United States. 

 The most abundant species is the White or Imported Cab- 

 bage butterfly. The next in abundance is probably the 

 Checkered White, and the rarest in most localities is the 

 Gray -veined White which is a northern form. 



The White or Imported Cabbage Butterfly 



Pieris rapae 



There is probably no butterfly which one can generally 

 find so easily in its early stages as the White or Imported 

 Cabbage butterfly which is found practically wherever 

 cabbages are grown and is generally so abundant that 

 caterpillars and chrysalids are readily discovered. In the 

 Northern states the insect passes through the winter 

 within the chrysalis, coming forth rather early in spring 

 as the familiar v/hite butterfly with black dots upon the 

 wings and blackish front angles of the fore wings. (See 

 plates, pages 6^-65 and 81.) 



The butterflies that thus appear in spring flit freely 

 about over fields, meadows, and gardens, sipping the nec- 

 tar of various early flowers through their long, coiled 

 tongues and stopping occasionally to alight upon the leaf 

 of a cabbage or other plant of the mustard family to de- 

 posit the small, pale yellow eggs wliich remain attached 

 by a sort of glue. The adult butterflies continue their 



