24 



MISC. PUBLICATION 318, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



Figure 56. — Cabbage but 

 terfly. 



expanse of about ±14 inches. The tips of the forewings are black. 

 The female butterfly has two black spots and the male, one black 

 spot on each forewing. The hind wing of each 

 sex has a single black spot on the outer front 

 margin. The eggs are very small and easily 

 overlooked. The larva is a velvety-green cater- 

 pillar found on cabbage and related plants. 

 When the larva finishes feeding it forms a pjupa, 

 or chrysalis, on the leaves where the caterpillars 

 have fed. Cabbage butterflies have three or more 

 generations each year, depending on the locality. 

 They overwinter in the pupal stage. The caterpillars cause consid- 

 erable damage to cultivated cabbage and related crops, and derris 

 and cube powders are used to control these pests. The technical name 

 of the cabbage butterfly is Pieris rapae. 



Swallowtail butterflies. — Butterflies of another group, and of 

 much larger size than the cabbage butterflies, have long tails on the 

 tips of the hind wings and are therefore called swallowtail butter- 

 flies. The different kinds of these butterflies feed on various plants. 

 The large black butterfly pictured here is the one whose larva feeds 

 on celery and related plants. It has a wingspread of about 3 inches. 

 The spots along the margins of the wings are yellow instead of white 

 as indicated in the picture. Like all other butterflies, this one has 

 four wings. In the adult stage it has sucking 

 mouth parts, but the caterpillars have chew- 

 ing mouth parts and sometimes cause damage 

 to cultivated celery, parsley, and related crops. 

 Hand picking these caterpillars would give 

 control, although under some conditions 

 poison application may be necessary. There 

 are two or three generations each year, and 

 the winter is passed in the pupal stage. Most 

 of the swallowtail butterflies carry the name "Papilio" and this one 

 is called Papilio polyxenes. 



Monarch butterfly. — Throughout much of the summer one sees 

 large reddish-brown butterflies. Their wings have black veins and 

 borders, and in the borders are many small white spots. The wing- 

 spread is from about 3^ to 4 

 inches. The butterflies have 

 sucking mouth parts and sap the 

 juices from flowers. The larvae 

 feed on the leaves. Until fairly 

 recent years it was not known 

 that these butterflies moved 

 north in the summer and south 

 in the winter, but now large 

 droves have been located moving 

 southward in much the same 

 fashion as do wild birds. They 

 remain throughout the winter in 

 the hedges or other sheltered 

 places in the South. They have complete life changes. Butterflies 

 are of questionable importance, but if the larvae should build up 



Figure 57. — Swallowtail but- 

 terfly. 



Figure 58. — Monarch butterfly, 



