DARK GREEN FRITILLARY 
105 
Egg. The egg is 1 mm. high, conical in shape. There are 
from nineteen to twenty-two longitudinal keels of various 
lengths, some running from the summit to the base, and 
others starting at different distances below the summit, but 
all nearly reach the base ; the keels are prominent, white 
and glassy. When first laid, the egg is a pale primrose- 
yellow, gradually deepening a little, and when five days old 
it is banded with lilac- 
purple and pale greenish- 
yellow. It gradually deep¬ 
ens in colour; when fif¬ 
teen days old the summit 
is dark purple with a 
central ochreous zone; 
finally, just before hatch¬ 
ing, the crown is dusky- 
brown and the remainder 
a light pearl-grey. The 
egg stage occupies seven¬ 
teen days. 
Larva. When fully 
grown, after the fifth 
moult, the larva measures 
38 mm. long. The body 
tapers at each end, and 
bears six longitudinal rows 
of spines, all of which are 
black and covered with 
sharply-pointed spinelets 
The ground colour of the 
dorsal surface is velvety- 
black shading into purple- 
brown on the sides and ventral surface ; it is faintly speckled 
with ashy-white; on each segment from the fourth to 
eleventh inclusive is a large deep-orange spot forming a 
sub-spiracular series. 
The larva is very active, running rapidly if disturbed, and 
feeds by day, especially during sunshine. The larval state 
lasts about nine months. 
Pupa. The pupa is 19 mm. long, exclusive of the terminal 
The Dark Green Fritillary drying its 
wings just after emergence. Sketched 
from life. 
