THE AMERICAN ENTOMOLOGIST. 



77 



Boisd.) Mr. S. H. Scudder, from an examina- 

 tion of a large number of specimens, found that 



ms 53 ] 



( uloi'^ — Black and ■v^llltl 



this butterfly enjoys a wide geographical range, 

 "extending from Texas on the southwest, Mis- 

 souri on tlic west, and the mouth of the Ilcd 

 River of the North on the northwest, as far as 

 Connecticut, and the Southern Atlantic States 

 on the east."* But while the species is scarce 

 in the more northern States, it abounds in many 

 of the southern States, where it takes the place 

 of the species described in the above paper. It 

 often proves exceedingly injurious, and we 

 learn from one of our IVIississippi exchanges 

 that " there were last year thousands of dollars' 

 worth of cabbages devastated and ruined by 

 worms in the neighborhood of Corinth." AVe 

 are furthermore told, that cabbages could not, 

 in consequence, be had there even at ten cents 

 per head. The "worm" refeiTed to, was doubt- 

 less the species under consideration. It abounds 

 in many parts of Missouri, and especially in the 

 truck gardens around large cities, where it 

 proves quite destructive to the cabbages. 



[Fig. 54.] 



Colors— (a) Gvcenish-l)lii(", yellow and black; (6) light 

 bluish-gray. 



The larva (Fig. 54 a), may be summarily de- 

 scribed as a soft worm, of a greenish-blue color, 

 with four longitudinal yellow stripes, and cov- 

 ered with black dots.f "When newly hatched it 



• See Proc. Boat. See. Nat Hist., VIII, 1801, p. ISO. 



t We annex a full description of this larva for the benefit 

 of our scientific friends: Average length when Aill grown 

 1.15 inches. Cylindrical. Middle scginents lai-gest. Most 

 common ground-color green verging onto blue; sometimes 

 Clear pale-blueand at others deep nidigo or purplish-blue. 

 Each segment with six transverse wrinkles, of which the 

 first and fourth arc somewhat wider than the others. Four darker 



is of a uniform orange color with a black head, 

 but it becomes dull brown before tlje tirst moult, 

 though the longitudinal stripes and black spots 

 are only visible after said moult has taken place. 

 The chrysalis (Fig. f>i h), averages 0.65 inch 

 in length, and is as variable in depth of ground- 

 color, as the larva. The general color is light 

 bluish-gray, more or less intensely speckled 

 with black, with the ridges and i)rominenccs 

 edged with but! or with flesh-color, and having 



larger black dots. 



[Kig. r«.] 



u — 



t;olors— Black and white. 



The female butterfly (Fig. 53), as was stated 

 in our last number, (p. GO) differs remarkably 

 Irom the male which we represent at Figure 55. 

 It will be seen, upon comparing these figures 

 that the ? is altogether darker than the (?• 

 This sexual difference in appearance is purely 

 colorational, however, and there should not be 

 the difference in the form of the wings which 

 the two figures would indicate, for the hind 

 wings in our g cut, are altogether too short 

 and rounded. 



This insect may be found in all its different 

 stages through the mouths of July, August and 

 September. It hybernatcs in the chrysalis 

 state. "We do not know that it feeds on any- 

 thing but Cabbage, but we once found a ^ 

 chrysalis fastened to a stalk of the common net- 

 tle, (Solanum caroUnense) which was growing 

 in a cemetery with no cabbages within at least 

 a quarter of a mile. Before concluding this ar- 

 ticle, we cannot too strongly urge upon our west- 

 ern readers to do all in their power to prevent 

 the advent of the Rape Butterfly in their midst. 

 It is more to be dreaded than any of the others, 

 and by stringent measures may easily be pre- 

 vented from gaining a foot-lioldin any locality. 

 Be on your guard! — Ed.] 



longitudinal yellow line-s, 

 and each interrupted by a 

 tioned first and fnurth tr;i 

 additional lougitiulinul li 

 iliatclv above impb'gs 



each erpudistant from the other, 

 pale blue spot on the aforemen- 

 ii-.\er.sc wrinkles. Traces of two 

 ifs licli.w, one on each side imnie- 

 nsverse wrinkle is a row 



fvai'ious sizeil, round, piilislncl lilack, slightly raised, pi- 

 literous spots; those on wrinkle.s one and four being largest 

 and most regularly situated. Hairs arising from these spots, 

 stifi' and black. Venter rather lighter than ground-color 

 above, and minutely speckled more or less witn dull black. 

 Head same color as body ; covered with black jiiliferous 

 spots, and usually with a yellow or orange patch each side 

 — ipiite variable. The black piliferous spots frequently have 

 a pale blue annulation around the base, cspeoialjy in the 

 pecimens. 



