1 68 



SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



BUTTEEFLIE8 OF THE PALAEAKCTIC RE&ION. 



By Henry Charles Lang, M.D., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P. Lond., F.E.S. 

 {Continued from page 112.) 



Genus 17. GONEPTERYX Leach. 



Edinb. Encycl. ix. p. 128, 1815. Lg. B. E. p. 64. 

 Stgr. Cat. 1901, p. 20. Rhodocera Boisd. 1836. 

 Stgr. Cat. 1871. 



All the wings with an angular projection ; with- 

 out any dark border. On each wing at the edge 

 of the discoidal cell is an orange spot, which has a 

 slightly silvery centre beneath. Antennae red and 

 curved downward. Body downy. The species 

 forming this genus were separated from Colias 

 Pab. by Dr. Leach to form the genus Gonepterijx, 

 which certainly has the preference overBoisduval's 

 Rliodocera, so generally adopted by Continental 

 entomologists, including Staudinger. 



The larvae have the same shape as those of Colias. 

 but the pupae differ in having the wing-cases very 

 large and forming a conspicuous bulging mass. 

 This form of pupa is seen in some of the allied 

 exotic genera. 



The Palaearctic species of Gonepterijx exhibit a 

 remarkable gradation as regards the acuteness of 

 the angular projections, the extreme forms in 

 the series being G. aspasia, which has very pointed 

 projections, and G. cleoiiile, in which they are 



G. a.ipasiti. 



comparatively slight. The sijecies enumerated 

 here are perfectly distinct, and there does not 

 seem the slightest reason for considering them 

 variations of the same specific form, as is hinted 

 at by some writers, several of whom maintain, for 

 instance, that G. eleopatra. is only a form of G. 

 rhamni, notwithstanding that Linnaeus considered 

 them distinct. No one who has seen G. rhamni 

 in company with G. eleopatra, as it is possible to 

 do in the South of France, could for a moment 

 hold this opinion. 



!■ G. aspasia Men. Bull. Acad. Petr. xvii. 

 213. 



52—60 ram. 



F.w. very acutely pointed at the apex. H.w. 

 about the same in shape as those of G. rTiamni. 

 $ F.w. sulphur-j'ellow, sometimes greenish-white 

 towards apex and h. marg. H.w. greenish-white ; 

 disc, spot of all the wings small, but distinct. 

 5 differs from $ in having all the wings uniformly 

 greenish-white, without any yellow shading. U.S. 

 greenish-white, with no markings except the disc, 

 spots, which are very inconspicuous, and a few 

 dots upon the costa of f.w. Sometimes there is 

 an antemarginal row of dots on the h.w. 



Hab. Amur. (Wlad. Chabfk.) IIL, IV., and 

 VIL 



Larva on Rliammis daliiiriea V. and VI. (R. 

 &H.) 



a. var. aouminata'SelA. Wien. Mts. vi. (1862). 

 Stgr. Cat. 1901. Has all the wings sulphur-yellow 

 in (J. Hab. N. China, This form hardly belongs 

 to the Palaearctic Region. 



2. G-. rhamni. (The Brimstone Butterfly.) 

 L. Syst. Nat. x. 470. Lg. B.E., p. 65, pi. xiv. 



fig. i. 



52 — 57 mm. 



Angles of f.w. not so acute as in G. aspasia. 

 S has all the wings sulphur-yellow. Disc, spots 

 reddish-orange and quite conspicuous, those on 

 the h.w. being more developed. J resembles <J , 

 but has the ground colour greenish-white. The 

 projecting angle of h.w. is about the same as in 

 (t. aspasia, but the general shape of the wings is 

 squarer and less elongated. Thorax and abdomen 

 black, thickly covered with whitish hairs, which 

 give a grey appearance to the body. 



Hab. The whole region except the Polar por- 

 tion and the Canar}' Islands. VII. e to X., and II. 

 to V. after hibernation. In some parts of the 

 region it is on the wing throughout the year. 



Larva cylindrical, but slightly thicker in the 

 middle than at the extremities. Dull green, 

 covered with minute excrescences, from each of 

 which springs a small white hair. A lateral white 

 waved stripe runs throughout the whole length of 

 the body. Food plant Rltamnus frangula and 

 R. catharticus V. and '\'I. 



Pupa bright green, pointed at both ends ; the 

 wing-cases form a considerable round-shaped pro- 

 jection ; head and thorax shaded with purplish- 

 brown. 



a. var. amnrensis Graes. Berl. e. Z. 1888, xxxii. 

 p. 69. Stgr. Cat. 1901, p. 20. Has the orange disc, 

 spots larger than in the type, and the ground 

 colour in S deeper yellow. Hab. Amur. 



