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114

PIERIS BELISAMA.


PLATE VII. Fig. 1.


Godart, Boisd.—Pap. Belisama, Cramer, Pl. 258, fig. A, B, C, D.


P. Belisama is another of these handsome and warmly tinted species which abound in Eastern Asia and the adjacent islands. It is generally about a third larger than our common cabbage butterflies, but smaller examples frequently occur; the male yellowish-white above, with the whole of the outer angle and the costa of the anterior wings black; the limb of the hinder pair of the same colour. Female with the greater portion of the upper wings black, the remainder pale ochreous. Under side of the upper wings black in both sexes, with a group of yellow spots on the apex, and a small transverse whitish streak at the extremity of the discoidal cell; the same side of the under wings bright yellow, inclining to orange, with a black posterior border dentated on the inner side, and bearing a row of rounded yellow spots; at the base there is a transverse red stripe lying parallel with the margin; body whitish; antennæ black.

Occurs plentifully in Java, Amboina, Sumatra, &c.