The Butterflies of the British IslesSouth, Richard
Science
The Butterflies of the British Isles
South, Richard
Butterflies -- Great Britain; Butterflies -- Great Britain -- Identification; Lepidoptera -- Great Britain
Although it might be passed over for a Green-veined White, or other
common butterfly, when seen on the wing, it is very different from any
of our other species when seen at close quarters. In the greenish
mottling of the under side of the hind wings, the male has some likeness
to the female Orange-tip, but on the Bath White the green is heavier and
less broken up. On the upper side of the fore wings the black markings
comprise a spot, sometimes divided, at the end of the cell, and a patch
on the tips of the wings; the latter enclose spots of the ground colour.
The markings of the under side show through blackish on the upper side
of the hind wings. The female differs from the male in having a black
spot between veins 1 and 2 of the fore wings, and the markings of the
hind wings are blacker, especially on the outer area.
The egg is stated by Buckler to be of a bright pinkish-red colour,
agreeing in this respect, as well as in size, with the anthers of the
flowers of mignonette, upon which plant it is laid in an upright
position. The shape is compared to that of an acorn without the cup, and
it has twelve or fourteen rather prominent ribs.
The full-grown caterpillar is bluish-grey, dotted with glossy black
warts, from each of which there is a short blackish hair. The lines
along the back and sides are yellow, or white spotted with yellow. Head
yellowish, dotted with black, and hairy. August and September. It feeds
on garden as well as wild mignonette (_Reseda_).
The chrysalis is at first similar in colour to the caterpillar, but it
afterwards becomes whitish. It has numerous black dots, and is marked
with yellow along the sides and on the back of the thorax.
The above descriptions are abridged from Buckler's more detailed
account of the life-history of this species. Of the caterpillars
resulting from thirty-three eggs, only two attained the chrysalis state,
in September. One of these turned black and died in November, and from
the other a butterfly emerged in the following June. The figures of
caterpillar and chrysalis on Plate 12 are from Buckler's "Larvæ."
[Illustration: _Pl._ 12.
=Bath White Butterfly.=
_Caterpillar and chrysalis (after Buckler)._]
[Illustration: _Pl._ 13.
=Green-veined White Butterfly.=
1, 2 _male (spring)_, 5, 6, _do. (summer)_; 3, 4 _female (spring)_,
7, 8 _do. (summer)_.]
It has been suggested that specimens taken in July and August are the
offspring of immigrants that arrive here in May, but there is no
conclusive evidence of this. It has, however, been proved that our
climate is not suitable for the permanent establishment of the species
here.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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