igoo] ENTOMOLOGICAL NEWS. 465 



Anthocharis Genutia Fabr. 

 By Ellison A. Smyth, Jr. 



Anthocharis gemitia is a regular early Spring butterfly here, 

 near Blacksburg, Va., on the top of the Alleghanies. I find 

 them on the wooded open hillsides bordering ravines, and the 

 cedar-covered, rocky ridges, about a mile east of the College. 

 The eggs are laid on Dentaria laci7iiata, which seems their only 

 food plant in this region. I have followed carefully a female 

 and collected the eggs as they were deposited on the plants. 

 My captures have generally been made on the wing ; the flight 

 is weak and uncertain, but when alarmed they manage to give 

 the pursurer a race before capture is possible. They fly only 

 a few feet above the ground, and generally start down hill, 

 over rocks and through tangle when pursued, but seldom tak- 

 ing to the open hill top. Genutia is on the wing in mid April 

 and continues emerging until about the ist of May, by which 

 time well-grown larva can be found upon the tooth-wort {^Den- 

 taria laciniatd). 



The fly is very regular in its appearance ; April i6th is the 

 earliest, and April 20th the latest date of their first appearance, 

 according to my records for a number of years. Fresh exam- 

 ples continue appearing for a week or more ; May 2nd is the 

 last date that I have seen any of the first brood on the wing. 

 The second Spring brood is on the wing as early as May 26th, 

 and seems to fly only about a week ; it is not as numerous as 

 the first brood. I have never seen the fly on the wing in the 

 late Summer or Fall, though Dr. Holland speaks of a Fall 

 brood in North Carolina. 



The following abridged extracts from my note book for a 

 number of years, will show dates of appearance and relative 

 abundance of flies and eggs of genutia : 



April 1 6th. Caught one %> genutia — first of the season. 



April 17th. Caught one % and two 9 9 genutia. 



April 1 8th. Saw three male genutia and caught two, on top 

 of ravine in open woods, with patches of red cedar here and 

 there; trees not in leaf yet. G'rm in bloom, also Dentaria, 

 Hepatica, Sanguinaria, Trillium and wild cherry. 



April 19th. A rainy day and chilly. Searched all the 



