Pontia occidentalis

• Overview
• Interesting Facts
• Common Names
• Description
• Biology
• Taxonomy
• Similar Species
• More Info
• Further Reading
• Notes

Overview

Interesting Facts

Common Names

Description

Family Pieridae

'The Pieridae are members of the Superfamily Papilionoidea, the true butterflies. Worldwide in distribution, most species are found in the tropics. Adults have medium to small wings that are white, yellow, or orange, with some black or red, and many have hidden ultraviolet patterns that are used in courtship . Species with more than one generation usually have distinct seasonal variation in appearance . Adults of all species visit flowers for nectar, and adults of both sexes have three pairs of walking legs . Males patrol in search of receptive mates, and females lay columnar eggs on leaves, buds, and stems. The majority of caterpillars of North American whites and sulphurs feed on legumes or crucifers (members of the Mustard family ). Typically, temperate species overwinter in the pupal or larval stage , while tropical species overwinter as adults.

'[1]

Subfamily Pierinae

Whites, marbles, and orangetips are members of the Family Pieridae. In North America, 31 species are included . Adults of most species are predominantly white above with some black pattern elements , and their hindwings often have a pattern of yellow and black scales that appear green. Sexes of most species are only slightly dimorphic , though male orangetips have bright orange wingtips. Nearly all adults are avid flower visitors. The males of almost all North American species patrol open, sunny habitats for females, although males of some tropical whites (e.g. Mexican Dartwhite) perch along ravines . Caterpillars of most western whites feed on mustards, though some use capers and others, pineneedles. All species overwinter in the chrysalis stage, and some orangetips and marbles may pass several unfavorable years in the chrysalis stage before hatching .[2]

Physical Description

Habitat

Mountain peaks, slopes , hilltops, railroad yards , open plains , roadsides.

Typically found at an altitude of 0 to 3,925 meters (0 to 12,877 feet).[3]

Biology

Diet

Caterpillar hosts: Flowers and fruits of various members of the mustard (Brassicaceae) family . Adult food: Flower nectar.

Reproduction

Males patrol hilltops and ridges for receptive females. Females lay eggs singly on host plants . Caterpillars will feed on leaves but prefer buds, flowers, and fruits. Chrysalids hibernate.

Behavior

Flight: One flight from June-July in far north; two flights from May-August in the south.

Taxonomy

Notes

Name Status: Accepted Name .

Last scrutiny: 08-Feb-2007

Similar Species

Members of the genus Pontia

ZipcodeZoo has pages for 9 species and subspecies in this genus:

P. beckerii (Becker's White) · P. daplidice (Bath White) · P. edusa (Eastern Bath White) · P. occidentalis (Western White) · P. occidentalis nelsoni (Nelson's White) · P. occidentalis occidentalis (Western White) · P. protodice (Checkered White) · P. sisymbrii (Spring White) · P. sisymbrii flavitincta (Flavous White)

More Info

• Search for Pictures: images.google.com
• Search for Scholarly Articles: Google Scholar
• Search using Scientific Name and Vernacular Names: All the Web | AltaVista Canada | AltaVista | Excite | Google | HotBot | Lycos
• Search using Specialized Databases: GenBank | Medline | Scirus | CISTI/CAL | Agricola Periodicals | Agricola Books

Further Reading

• Catalogue of Papilionidae & Pieridae (Lepidoptera, Rhopalocera) / Charles A. Bridges. Urbana, Ill: C.A. Bridges, 1988. url p. 81.
• Guide to California insects. Berkeley, The Law press, 1913. url p. 24.
• Proceedings of the Entomological Society of British Columbia. [s.l.]: Entomological Society of British Columbia. url p. 122, p. 9.
• Proceedings of the United States National Museum. Washington: Smithsonian Institution Press, [etc.] url p. 433, p. 434, p. 435, p. 783.
• The Canadian entomologist. Ottawa [etc.]Entomological Society of Canada [etc.] url p. 439.
• The Great Basin naturalist. Provo, Utah: M.L. Bean Life Science Museum, Brigham Young University, 1939-1999. url p. 339, p. 340, p. 56, p. 72.
• The butterflies of Montana: with keys for determination of species, by Morton John Elrod. .. assisted by Frances Inez Maley, A. B. A nature study bulletin, for the use of teachers, students and others who wish to study the butterflies; with one colored plate, twelve Missoula, Mont.: University of Montana, 1906. url p. 29.

Notes

Contributors

• Brands, S.J. (comp.) 1989-present. The Taxonomicon. Universal Taxonomic Services, Zwaag, The Netherlands. Accessed January 15, 2012.

Data Sources

Accessed through GBIF Data Portal November 12, 2007:

• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Saskatoon
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Butterflies and Skippers of Alberta Project
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Canadian National Collection
• of Insects, Arachnids and Nematodes
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Crispin S. Guppy Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Donald F. Hooper Butterfly collection, Canada
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, E.C. Manning Park Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Lyman Entomological Museum
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, M. Gollop Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Manitoba Museum of Man and Nature
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, New Brunswick Museum Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Norbert Kondla Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Northern Forestry Centre Arthropod Collection, Edmonton
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Nova Scotia Museum of Natural History, Halifax, NS, Canada
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Provincial Museum of Alberta
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Ross A. Layberry Observations
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Royal British Columbia Museum Entomology Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Royal Ontario Museum: Entomology
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, Spencer Entomological Museum
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, University of Guelph, Department of Environmental Biology
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, University of New Brunswick Collection
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, University of Saskatchewan
• Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility, University of Western Ontario Collection

Identifiers

• Biodiversity Heritage Library NamebankID: 2603248
• Catalogue of Life Accepted Name Code: Gar-1790
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility Taxonkey: 14808852
• Natural Heritage Network Species Identifier: IILEPA1040
• Zipcode Zoo Species Identifier: 171592

Footnotes

1. http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/taxonomy?f=15&sci=Pieridae&com=Whites and Sulphurs [back]
2. http://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Creusa&search=Search [back]
3. Mean = 1,021.150 meters (3,350.230 feet), Standard Deviation = 558.230 based on 1,465 observations. Altitude information for each observation from British Oceanographic Data Centre. [back]

©2004-2012 David Stang. All rights reserved.