Egg laying

Matthew Smith MatSmith1 at compuserve.com
Mon Jan 10 15:19:12 EST 2000


Message text written by INTERNET:SUNSOL at prodigy.net
>I have a copy of the book "Butterfly and Caterpillar " by Barrie Watts. In
it is a photo of a cabbage white laying a group of eggs.  I have never seen
cabbage white eggs in groups. Do you think she was drugged?

Sally

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Sally

It depends on which species you mean by 'Cabbage White'.  Here in the UK we
have two species that go by that general epithet.  The Large White (Pieris
brassicae) lays yellow eggs in batches on cabbage, other brassicas and
nasturtium.  The larvae feed communally for the first few instars.  The
Small White (P. rapae) lay solitary eggs in the same set of plants and the
larvae lead a solitary existance (although you can sometimes find several
larvae of both species on the same cabbage leaf.  

It's unlikely a drugged butterfly would lay eggs, being unfamiliar with the
book in question I would suggest you have a picture of P.brassicae laying
eggs.

Regards

Matt


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