346 
SPICES 
CHAP. 
The female is dull (not metallic) bluish white on the 
upper side, the outer black borders much broader, and 
the black spots on the lower wings considerably more 
prominent. The under side in both sexes is pale brownish, 
crossed by numerous more or less broken prominent 
white lines. It is very abundant in the cardamom 
fields, and at low elevations flies all the year round, and 
there is probably a constant succession of broods. 
The female probably lays its eggs on the flower buds 
of the cardamoms (as an allied fruit-eating blue butter- 
fly does), and after a few days the larvae commence to 
burrow into the young fruit and to devour the centre. 
The full-grown caterpillar is described by Mr. Green 
as *55 in. long, dull pale green, tinged with red on the 
dorsal area, with three reddish dorsal stripes, minute 
black spiracles and a small brown head retracted beneath 
the second segment. The chrysalis is smooth, pale, dull 
yellowish brown, marbled and spotted with darker 
brown, the spots coalescing into three irregular dorsal 
stripes. 
The caterpillar before pupating leaves the fruit, 
cutting a large round hole in the side. Otherwise, it 
does not leave the fruit it commenced on unless it some- 
how becomes unsuitable, when it would seek a fresh one 
and bore into that. 
The caterpillar probably pupates among the leaves 
and dead stalks. The allied butterflies, however, pass 
the pupa stage in the fruits. Mr. Green estimates the 
destruction to be ordinarily from 5 to 10 per cent of 
the capsules. Mr. Owen, as mentioned above, says that 
sometimes 80 to 90 per cent of the capsules are 
destroyed. 
There is considerable difficulty in dealing with a 
pest of this nature. Mr. De Niceville, in the Indian 
Museum Notes, suggests that small boys should be 
employed with butterfly nets to catch the insects, and 
should be able to secure the greater part of them in a 
plantation. The destruction of the gravid females 
would check the injury very largely. 
