140 



PEARL-BORDERED LIKENESS. 



Meliicea Athalia. 

 PLATE XII. Fig. 2. 



Pap. Athalia, Esper. — Pap. Dictynna, Lewin, pi. 14. fig. 5. 

 and 6. — Pearl-bordered Likeness, Harris Melitaea Atha- 

 lia, Stephens. 



The expansion of the wings is from sixteen lines 

 to two inches : the colour tawny orange, marked 

 with black, the latter running in several undulating 

 lines across the surface, the base blackish. Beneath, 

 the anterior wings are pale brownish-yellow, with a 

 few transverse streaks of black ; the posterior pair with 

 several pale angular spots near the base, edged with 

 black ; behind this there is a continuous curved band 

 of large pale spots, also edged with black ; and near 

 the margin two series of black crescents. The fringe 

 is yellowish-white, spotted with black. 



The caterpillar is black and spiny, with two rows 

 of small white dots on each segment, and tubercles 

 of a similar colour on the sides. It feeds on the 

 narrow and broad leaved plantain, and also, accord- 

 ing to Wilkes, on the common heath. The butter- 

 fly is not uncommon in Devonshire, and many other 



