DANAIS CHRYSIPPUS.
Plate II.—Fig. 2.
This butterfly is widely dispersed over Europe, Asia, and Africa, but it is not found in England. It is of the same colour as the last described specimen, but is not so large, measuring in expanse from two and a half to three and a half inches. The tips of the fore-wings are broadly marked with black, shading off to brown, crossed with a band of white spots. Four of these spots are of a quadrilateral form, and much larger than the rest. The outer margins of all four wings are bordered with black, freely dotted with white. There are three black spots on the centre of the hind-wings of the female; the male has four, the fourth, which is largest, being placed under the principal vein. The under is similar in markings and colouring to the upper side, but the white spots are more pronounced, and the tawny yellow somewhat paler; the apex of each fore-wing is moreover tipped with yellow, instead of being black like the upperside. The larva is very similar to that of the Plexippus. It is somewhat smaller, however, has six fleshy horns instead of four, and the transverse gold and black stripes are interspersed with white spots instead of stripes. It feeds gregariously with the above variety on the “Arbol de Seda,” and appears at the same time, in the same locality, and in equal numbers. When it changes to the pupa state it resembles closely the bright green chrysalis of its companion, only it is not quite so large.