Butterflies and Moths (British)Furneaux, William S.
Science
Butterflies and Moths (British)
Furneaux, William S.
Butterflies -- Great Britain; Moths -- Great Britain
The caterpillars, which are of a bluish colour, with two yellow stripes
down the back, and two others along the sides, may be _looked_ for in
June and September. Those of the first brood only have been taken in
this country, while the others on the Continent change to the chrysalis
in the autumn, and hybernate in this state throughout the winter.
The chrysalis is of a brownish colour, and closely resembles that of the
Small White in form.
Those in search of this rare British insect should wander along the
south-east coast, and net all the doubtful slow-flying small Whites
(_Daplidice_ is rather slow and heavy on the wing), and their
perseverance _may_ be rewarded with a prize that will ever be a reminder
of a glorious catch and an eventful day. If you fail in this, and most
probably you will, rather than remain a stranger to this beautiful and
interesting insect, fill up the blank in your cabinet with a foreign
specimen, which can be obtained at any time for a few pence, but be
careful to label it 'not British,' in order that your brother
collectors may not be deceived, or be led to make any unnecessary
inquiries.
_The Orange Tip_ (_Euchlo[:e] Cardamines_)
No one could possibly mistake the male of this species for any other
British butterfly, the popular name alone giving quite sufficient
information for its identification, but the female Orange Tip is _not_
tipped with orange, and its markings, both above and beneath, resemble
those of _Daplidice_ so nearly that the same written description might
apply almost equally well to both.
On Plate I (fig. 7) is shown the upper side of the male, and just
opposite it (fig. 8) the under surface of the same. The female is
usually a little larger than her mate, and is marked similarly on both
sides except that the bright orange blotch is entirely wanting. She may
always be distinguished from _Daplidice_ by the smaller size of the
white spots that break the dark blotch at the tip of the fore wing; also
by the very small size of the dark spot in the centre of the same wing.
The green chequerings of the under side of the hind wings are also more
sharply defined, and the insect is generally of a lighter build.
Like many other butterflies, the Orange Tip is subject to variations in
colouring. Sometimes a pale but bright yellow takes the place of the
white ground, and the orange blotch of the male is occasionally present
on the upper or lower surface only.
_Cardamines_ is a single-brooded insect, and is essentially a creature
of the spring, at which time it may be found in abundance in lanes,
meadows, and clearings in woods throughout the British Isles. Its flight
is so light and airy that even the female may easily be distinguished
from other Whites when on the wing, while the brilliant orange of the
male, intensified by the bright rays of the spring sun, may be
identified at some considerable distance.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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