THE YOUNG 



NATURALIST. 



259 



BRITISH BUTTERFLIES. 



By J. E. Robson ; with figures from life by 

 S. L. Mosley. 



(Assisted by Contributors to the Y.N.) 



DISPAR, Hw. PI. 20, Fig. i. 



The Large Copper. 

 "Dispar, Ha., Dis'par, dispar, unlike; on 

 account of the disparity in appearances of 

 the sexes." A.L. 



Imago. Plate 20, fig i. Male, bright 

 coppery red, with a narrow black hind mar- 

 gin and a black spot in the centre of both 

 wings. The female has one or more black 

 spots on the forewing, nearer the base than 

 the central spot, and a row of seven between 

 it and the hind margin, which is broader 

 black than in the male. The hind wing of 

 the female is much suffused with black 

 scales, except on a narrow band next the 

 hind margin. 



Larva. — Onisciform, " green, with darker 

 dorsal stripe, and one paler stripe on each 

 side (Frtyer)." Stainton's Mannel. 



Pupa. — " Obese, blunt at both extremi- 

 ties, attached by minute hooks at the caudal 

 extremities, and also by a belt round the 

 waist." Newman. 



Food Plant. Rumex hydrolopathum 



(great water dock) and R. aquaticics." Stain- 

 ton's Manuel. 



Times of Appearance — The 



Butterfly used to emerge in June or July; 

 the 25th June being the earliest authentic 

 date I have seen recorded. The egg was 

 laid in July or early in August, and the larva 

 hybernated small, reappearing in spring to 

 feed up by May or June. 



Habitat. — Haworth states this species 

 was first found in Wales, by the Botanist 



Hudson, but the localities known with any 

 certainty were Whittlesea Mere in Cam- 

 bridgeshire, and Yaxley Fen in Huntingdon- 

 shire. It is easy to see that an insect, hyber- 

 nating in the larva state, on a water plant, 

 is liable to be destroyed whenever the food 

 was submerged. Mr. H. B. Hodgkinson, 

 of Preston, states in the Entomologists' 

 Weekly Intelligencer, for 1858 (Vol. iv. page 

 10), that he has seen this species " in Cum- 

 berland, have taken a very deliberate look 

 at it, and lost it after all " ; and Mr. W. 

 Winter, of Ranworth, on page 131 of the 

 same volume, under date of June 20th, says : 

 "This species has again appeared in the 

 lens here ; I saw four yesterday, but missed 

 them all." One is recorded (Ent.) as having 

 been seen on Hackney Marshes about three 

 years ago. If insects that are seen, and not 

 captured, are to be taken into serious con- 

 sideration, we shall certainly have to admit 

 Pamassius apollo to our lists, which has been 

 seen often enough (see Y. N. vol. i page 293). 

 Mr. Hodgkinson gives no date, by Mr. Win- 

 ter's date (19th June) is earlier than the 

 earliest authentic record I have met with. 

 In Kirby's catalogue, the Dispar of Haworth 

 is supposed to be confined to England. 

 Dr. Staudinger's catalogue also gives the 

 type as having occured only in England, but 

 he gives a variety Rutilus, Wernb., which is 

 said to be smaller, and to have smaller spots, 

 and is found in France, Germany, and South 

 and East Europe. This I expect is the full 

 range of the species abroad. 



Variation. — The variety Rutilus has 

 been already named. Specimens of this 

 form and of the British type vary in size and 

 distinctness of the black spots, and the 

 amount of suffusion on the hind wing. A 

 female in Mr. Dale's collection is nearly 

 black, and a specimen in Mr. Sidebotham's 

 collection seems to approach the var Schmid- 

 tii of Phlceas, having the forewing inclining 

 to silvery towards the hind margin. 



