Butterflies and Moths (British)Furneaux, William S.
Science
Butterflies and Moths (British)
Furneaux, William S.
Butterflies -- Great Britain; Moths -- Great Britain
The species we are now considering is also very variable both in its
ground colour and the markings of the wings. The former is in some cases
a really brilliant yellow; and the latter are in some cases entirely
wanting.
_Rapae_ is double-brooded, the first brood appearing in April and May,
and the other in July and August.
During these months the eggs may be seen in plenty on its numerous food
plants, which include the cabbages and horse-radish of our gardens, also
water-cress (_Nasturtium officinale_), rape (_Brassica Napus_), wild
mustard (_B. Sinapis_), wild mignonette (_Reseda lutea_), and nasturtium
(_Tropaeolum majus_).
The eggs are conical in form--something like a sugar loaf, with ridges
running from apex to base, and very delicate lines from ridge to ridge
transversely.
The young larvae often make their first meal of the shell, and then
attack the food plant so voraciously that they are fully grown in about
three or four weeks. In colour they are of a beautiful glaucous green,
hardly distinguishable at times from the leaves on which they rest. A
yellow stripe runs along the middle of the back, and lines of yellow
spots adorn the sides; and the whole body is covered with very short
hairs, each one arising from a minute warty projection.
The pupae may be found during the same seasons and in the same situations
as those of _Brassicae_. They are very variable in colour. Some are of a
very pale grey or putty colour, some are decidedly brown, and others of
a greenish tinge; and they are often spotted and striped with dark grey
or black.
_The Green-veined White_ (_P. Napi_)
A non-observant beginner at entomological work may easily mistake this
insect for the last species, for the ground colour and markings are very
similar, even to the features by which the sexes are distinguished from
each other; but an inspection of the under surface will give a ready
means of identification, for here the wing rays are bordered with black
scales which, by contrast with the rich yellow around them, often
appear of a greenish hue. The butterfly receives its popular name from
this circumstance.
A careful observer, however, will readily find distinguishing marks on
the upper side, for here also the chief 'veins' are more or less
accompanied with black scales, especially the extremities of those of
the fore wings, where little triangular blotches are often distinctly
formed; and the dark veining of the under surface of the hind wings
frequently shows through. The under side of this insect is shown on
Plate I (fig. 5).
This butterfly is not so abundant as the two preceding, but is widely
distributed throughout England, and is in most parts decidedly
plentiful.
The first brood (for it also is double-brooded) appears during April and
May, and the second in July and August.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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