How to Know the Butterflies

The Cornell classic that taught America to name what it saw: every eastern butterfly described from life, with its caterpillar, its food-plants, its habits — and how to pronounce its Latin.

Home › The Pierids › The Olympia Orange-Tip

The Olympia Orange-Tip

Synchloe olympia (Syn'chlo-e o-lym'pi-a) FIG. 29; PLATE XIII, FIG. 7, 8 In this species the orange patch is wanting in both sexes. There is a conspicuous black bar at the end of cell R + M of the fore wings, and the apical portion of these wings is gray, including a large irregular white band (Fig. 29).

CATERPILLAR.-Striped lengthwise with pale slate color and bright yellow; feet, legs, and head grayish green.

ful pink flush like the
ful pink flush like the

Food-plants. Hedge-mustard and other Cruciferæ.

This species being an Olympian, it has apparently shared with the gods the privilege of inconsistency, for it is an orange-tip with the orangetips left off. However, the under sides of the hind wings are spangled elaborately with brilliant yellowish green, so it is by no means a plain butterfly. There is a southern form called rosa which has a beautiful pink flush like the upper clouds at sunrise, FIG. 29. Synchlæ olympia. spread over the under sides of the hind wings, making a rosy background for the spangles.

Read next

← The Falcate Orange-TipThe Yellows →