174 



LEPIDOPTERA (BUTTERFLIES). 



Butterflies (Ehopalocbea). 



Amongst the seventy British Butterflies only three {Pieridm 

 or Whites) can be considered of economic importance. The 

 clubbed antennae always identify a butterfly. The larvas, too, 

 are often spiny, and the pupa or chrysalis (4) is angulated, 



Fia, 77. — Green-veined White (J'wris tw/pz). 



1, Imago ; 2, ovum ; 3, larva ; 4, chrysalis ; 5, Ichneumon Fly (HemifdeS melan- 

 ariufi) ; 6, natural size. (Curtis.) 



and generally pale in colour. No cocoon is formed, the chry- 

 salids either hanging with the head downwards and attached by 

 a lump of silk at the tail, or suspended head upwards, when 

 they are girdled by a small band of silk as well as a caudal 

 attachment. In England all Butterflies are day-fliers. 



The Large White (Pieris brassicce). 



We may take the Large or Cabbage White (Pieris hrassieae) 

 as our type. The fore -wings of this species are creamy- 

 white, with a broad black patch at the tip in the male ; in 

 the female there are also two black spots in the middle of 

 the wings. The under-side of the front wings of both male 

 and female is white, with two black spots ; the posterior pale 

 yellow with a fine dusting of black. The eggs are laid on the 

 under-surface of cruciferous plants, are yeUow in colour, and 



