HOW TO KNOW THE INSECTS 



47 



AN EGG OF THE ORANGE-TIP BUTTERFLY 



ATTACHED TO A FLOWER STALK. 



Magnified 25 diameters. 



wings exposed. Now that we know how 

 to distinguish Moths from Butteriiies, 

 we may continue our observations. 



The mottled green lower wings make 

 it clear that we are not dealing with a 

 White Cabbage Butterfly, for the under 

 side of the wings of that insect are white 

 or pale yellow. We have here, then, the 

 female of the Orange-Tip Butterfly 

 (Anthocharis card amines). The butter- 

 fly is called " orange-tip " because of 

 the large blotch of bright orange colour 

 on the tips of the forewings of the male 

 insect. In the lower illustration on page 46 

 is shown a male butterfly, the dark tips 

 of the wings representing the orange colour. 



Our butterfly has been occupied for 

 several minutes amongst the flowers of 

 the lady's smock, or cuckoo-flowers as 

 they are sometimes called, and now a 

 sudden burst of sunlight has induced it 

 to take to its wings again. Before leav- 

 ing these flowers, however, let us glance 

 at the work on which the butterfly 

 was emplo3'ed. Examining the little 

 stalks of the individual flowers by means 

 of a pocket lens (the amateur entomolo- 

 gist should always carry a pocket 

 magnifier, one that can be purchased for 

 a shilling will serve all his needs), we find 

 that the butterfly has placed here and 

 there one of her tiny and beautiful 

 eggs. In the illustration on this page 

 one of these eggs is shown as it appears 

 when magnified. Thus we have the 



l)cginning of some Orange-Tip Butterflies 

 lor next spring. 



Later on, if we carefully examine the 

 lady's smocks when their flowers have 

 changed into long, narrow seed pods, 

 we shall probably find feeding upon them 

 some green caterpillars, very similar in 

 size and appearance to the pods them- 

 selves, and these caterpillars represent 

 the next stage of the Orange-Tip 

 Butterfly. It is interesting to note 

 that when the caterpillar has consumed 

 the seed pod from the tip downwards, 

 it rests on the upper part of the stalk, 

 and, being similar in colour and form to 

 the pod, it oft^in escapes the vigilant 

 eyes of its enemies by thus mimicking 

 its surroundings. 



In connection with mimicry, the Orange- 

 Tip Butterflies themselves may be noticed 

 as evening a})])roaches. I have previously 

 pointed out the mottled green and white 

 colours of the under side of their lower 

 wings. Now these butterflies frequently 

 rest upon flowers of the wild parsley tribe. 



CATERPILLARS OF ORANGE-TIP BUTTERFLIES 

 FEEDING ON SEED PODS OF LADYS S.MOCK. 

 Showinft how the caterpillars resemble the pods. 



