RHODOCERA CLEOBULE.
Plate I.—Fig. 3.
This finely-coloured and beautiful butterfly resembles the English Brimstone, but is quite a distinct variety, being of squarer form and having no decided point at the angle of the hind-wings. It is peculiar to the Islands. The male is a most brilliant sulphur yellow, the fore-wings being of a deeper shade than the hind ones. The hind-wings have a deep orange spot about the centre. The female differs from the male in being of a much paler shade of yellow, with quite a tinge of green all over it; it also has a small orange spot on the fore-wings in addition to that on the hind-wings. Both wings have red markings round them on the outer edge, which form an almost interrupted fine line of colour. The underside resembles the upper, but is paler. The antennæ are short and thick, with a reddish tinge, which becomes deeper at the knob.
It is found from January to June in most localities on and at a little distance from the coast; gardens and fields seem somewhat favoured, but it is by no means common anywhere. There seem to be several broods between the months mentioned above, but the larva and pupa have not been observed.