The butterflies of the British Isles / by Richard South.

  • South, Richard.
Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The butterflies of the British Isles / by Richard South. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    specks. There is a pale line on each side below the spiracles. It feeds in June and July on both kinds of buckthorn, and will generally be found resting along the main rib of a leaf. The chrysalis is bluish-green in colour and of a curious shape. The sharp yellowish and brown beak-like projection in front and raised brownish bases of the wing-covers, to- gether with the humped thorax, somewhat resemble a bird’s head when seen from the frorrt. Then, again, the enlarged wing-cases, which are rather greener than the other parts, in conjunction with the general outline, give a very good imitation of a curled leaf. The butterfly is very constant as regards colour and marking, but occasionally the fore wings may be more or less suffused with orange, and in this respect assumes the coloration of the South European species known as G. clcopatra. The attempt has been made to establish the last-named butterfly in Ireland, but the experiment seems to have been only partially successful. Sometimes female specimens are found to have splashes of the male colour on their wings. Occasionally their colour is inter- mediate between their own proper tint and that of the male, and more rarely the wings on one side may be yellow, as in the male, while those on the other side are greenish, as in the female. Such specimens are termed gynandrous examples, and some- times hermaphrodites. The latter, however, is not correct. An unusual variation of the butterfly is shown on Plate 27. This has large oval pale brownish-orange marks on the under side of the wings. It was taken in the New Forest. The Brimstone butterfly enjoys a longer existence in the perfect state than any of the other British species, with the exception, perhaps, of the Tortoiseshells and their allies. It leaves the chrysalis at the end of July or beginning of August, and is usually quite common during the latter month. After this it takes up its winter quarters, from which, however, it may be tempted to come out whenever the day is sufficiently
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