PIERIS II. 
PIERIS VIRGINIENSIS. 5—8. 
Pieris Virginiensis, Edwards, Trans. Am. Ent. Soc. 1870. 
Male. Expands 1.7 inch. 
Upper side white, less pure than Oleracea and much obscured by grey brown 
scales which are scattered over the whole surface but are dense on apex, costa and 
basal half of primaries and at base and along the subcostal and median nervures 
of secondaries; a grey patch also on costa of secondaries. 
Under side white, the nervures all bordered with grey brown, most conspicu- 
ously on sub-median of both wings and the branches of this nervure on secondaries; 
shoulder pale orange. 
Body above blue grey, beneath white; palpi white tipped with grey; antennae 
blackish above, finely annulated with white below; club black tipped with yellow- 
ish. 
Female. Expands 1.9 inch. 
Similar to male, the surface usually still more obscured. 
This species is allied to Oleracea, from which it may be readily distinguished 
by the shape of its wings, which are longer and narrower, by their texture, which 
is more delicate, and by the constant presence of grey scales over the surface. In 
the Kanawha district it replaces Oleracea which is yet unknown there. It is not 
uncommon in the month of May, frequenting open woods rather than gardens, and 
in this respect differing in habit from the allied species. I have never met with it 
later than June, though Oleracea, in the Northern States, is most abundant after 
that month and continues breeding till the early autumn frosts. 
I have received specimens of Virginiensis from Mr. Wm. Saunders of London, 
Canada, and am informed by him that it is there a rare insect. 
The larvae of this group of Pieris feed upon garden vegetables, Brassica, Ra- 
phanus, Nasturtium, and allied plants in a wild state, and are sometimes exceed- 
ingly destructive. The female butterfly deposits great numbers of long slender 
pointed eggs upon the under side of the leaves, often a score or more upon a single 
leaf. These eggs are greenish white in color, and stand at right angles to the 
surface. To an inexperienced person they might seem to be eggs of some fly, or 
the result of a disease of the leaf itself, but they would not be suspected to be the 
eggs of any butterfly. 
In four or five days the young larvae emerge, one tenth of an inch in length, 
green in color, requiring a keen sight to discover them. At once they attack the 
leaf eating a small hole and to the margin of this they return when disposed to 
feed till all the surrounding parts are eaten away. The large leaves of horse rad- 
ish may be seen entirely consumed in this way leaving but ihe skeleton untouched. 
