256 



riEBID,K. INSECTS.- 



-Anthochakis. 



This species was found by Mr. Wallace on the island 

 of Batchian among the Molucca islands. Some of the 

 species have the wings black, marked with pale streaks; 

 the hind wings being of a rich yellow, bordered, spotted, 

 or lined with black. The Omilhoptera BrooJceana is 

 figured— Plate 9, fig. 2. Speaking of the species of 

 Papilio proper, good authorities refer to them as being 

 insects of rapid and powerful flight ; it is certainly the 

 case with our British species. They take long circuits, 

 and return after the lapse of a few minutes in the same 

 direction, and often precisely in the same track on which 

 they set out. 



A very interesting genus of the family is Parnassius, 

 a genus of white Butteiflies with rings of pinkish red 

 on the wings. They are found on the mountains of 

 Europe, Asia, and America. The abdomen in the 

 female terminates in a horny pouch or plate. The 

 larvfe feed on sedums, saxifrages, and such like alpine 

 plants; as befits residents in a cold region, they are 

 pubescent. The flight of the perfect insects is de- 

 scribed as being slow and graceful until disturbed. 

 When pursued, P. Apollo and P. Phtebus are capable 

 of great speed. 



When full grown, the caterpillar of our Swallow- 

 tail butterfly no longer eats, but rests quietly on the 

 stem of the plant, sedate and motionless. They 

 sometimes are for two days in this position, when, 

 with a small white web spun from the creature's 

 mouth, the tail is fi.^ed. With this foundation made, 

 the larva makes a fine white silken thread, the ends 

 of which are fi.\ed, one on each side, near the head. 

 Harris has well described the after process : — " I 

 could not help admiring with what care and pains he 

 worked to make it strong : rubbing with his mouth 

 backward and forward with such a motion as the shoe- 

 makers use in waxing their ends. When finished, he 

 put his head under or through it, and the thread then 

 fell across his back ; but the thread now appeared too 

 big for him. After this he remained two days more, 

 during which time he shortened and grew thicker, and 

 at length changed into the chrysalis." In May and 

 June the butterfly appears. 



The family Pieridce is readily known from the pre- 

 ceding by the want of the spur on the anterior tibias, 

 and by the abdominal margin of the posterior wings 

 forming a distinct channel for the reception of the 

 abdomen. The larva is more or less pubescent, has no 

 tentacula, and tapers slightly towards each extremitj'. 

 The head of the pupa is always pointed, never bifid 

 or truncated. Tlie Pieridse form an extensive group 

 of insects scattered over the whole world. The pre- 

 vailing colours in the insects of this family are white 

 and yellow. Our common Cabbage-butterfly (Pieris 

 Brassicce), and Brimstone-butterfly {Gonepteryx Rham- 

 ni), are characteristic examples of the family. 



The species of the genus Euterpe, with their broad 

 hairy head, are found in the New World, as are tlie 

 species of the singular genus Leptalis, in which the 

 hind wings are generally much broader than the fore 

 wings, and nearly or quite as long. Some of the species 

 have a striking resemblance to the family Heliconida;, 

 and not less resemble them in their habits. Of the 

 small genus Lriicophasia, with its delicate wings rounded 



at the end, we have one species, L. Sinapis, which 

 generally frequents open places in woods, and flies 

 rather slowly with an undulating unsteady motion. 

 The larva feeds on the tufted vetch and bird's-foot 

 trefoil (Lotus corniculatus). The larvae of tlie numer- 

 ous species of the genus Piei-is are particularly attached 

 to the various species of Cruciferjie, and some of the 

 British species, in their larva state, are very destructive 

 in our gardens, making inroads on our cabbages, turnips, 

 Indian cress, and mignonette ; while in the United 

 States, one described by Dr. Harris under the name of 

 P. olcracea, is equally injurious to cabbages, turnips, 

 and other garden Cruciferie. 



Some of the Indian and Australian species are varied 

 on the under sides with bright colours, such as red and 

 3'ellow. The male of a very common Australian species 

 [Pieris nigrina) is white above, while below it is 

 black, and has yellow marking on the fore wings and 

 red streaking on the lower. 



The grub of the Pieris Cratagi is often so very 

 numerous in France as to occasion great injury to the 

 almond trees, which are cultivated extensively in the 

 south. Linnfeus calls it " the pest of gardens." In 

 the neighbourhood of Paris the gardeners, and those 

 who would preserve their fruit trees, make a regular 

 practice of stripping the branches of as many of these 

 caterpillars affthey can see. In this country it is not 

 a very common insect ; but in the south of France, 

 if the almond plantations should happen to be attacked 

 two or three years in succession by it, the loss of their 

 leaves occasions the destruction of these valuable trees, 

 and every year the amount of produce is materially 

 affected by the caterpillar of this butterfly.* 



The species of the genus Pieris are very numerous. 

 Nearly two hundred are known, whose range extends 

 from the Arctic regions to the Tropics, and from the 

 Tropics to the most southern lands where butteiflies 

 are met with. 



The genus Zegris, one species of which, Z. Etipheme, 

 is found in Spain and in the Crimea, is singular 

 among butterflies, inasmuch as the larva spins a deli- 

 cate silken net-like web on the stems of the Sinapis. 

 It suspends itself by a very fine transverse thread, and 

 by the tail. The larva grows very slowly ; the insect 

 itself flies with great rapidity. 



The species of Anthocharis have the wings in the 

 males tipped with orange, or with pinkish red ; they 

 are commonly called Orange-tips. 



The species of the genus Callidryas are found both 

 in the New World and in the Old ; their colours are 

 most frequently yellow or orange, while a few are of a 

 chalky white above ; the females differ very much from 

 their partners. Mr. Doubleday tells us, that the perfect 

 insects appear in a few days after the change from the 

 larva to the pupa state. They are powerful and rapid 

 in flight, and fond of settling on flowers and the muddy 

 banks of rivers and pools. I have heard Mr. Bates 

 narrate, how he has seen douds of the males of one 

 species fly over the Amazon, near Ega. This habit of 

 congregating in countless myriads has been observed 

 by several writers. Sir Robert Schomburgh, when 



• Guerin Meneville : Essai sur l«a lasectes Nuisitles^ Enc. 

 Mod., vol. xviii., p. 278. 



