Pieridae
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| Diversity | ||||||||||||||
| 76 genera 1,051 species |
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| Pieris brassicae (Large White) |
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The Pieridae are a large family of butterflies. There are about 700 species mostly in tropical Africa and Asia. [1]They are characterised by mainly white or yellow coloration, often with black spots. The sexes usually differ, often in the pattern or number of the black markings.
The larvae (caterpillars) of some of these species feed on brassicas, and are agricultural pests.
Males of many species involve in gregarious mud-puddling.[1]
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[edit] Classification
The Pieridae have the radial vein on the forewing with 3 or 4 branches and rarely with 5 branches. The fore legs are well developed unlike in the Nymphalidae and the tarsal claws are bifid unlike in the Papilionidae.[2]
Like the Papilionidae, these too have their pupae held at an angle by a silk girdle, but running at the first abdominal segment unlike the thoracic girdle seen in the Papilionidae.
[edit] Subfamilies
The Pieridae are generally divided into the following subfamilies:
- Dismorphiinae (6 genera) (Mostly Neotropical)
Host plants in the family Fabaceae.[1]
- Anthocharinae (Orange-tips)
- Pierinae (55 genera) (Whites)
Host plants in the family Capparidaceae, Brassicaceae, Santalaceae, and Loranthaceae. Many species strongly migratory.[1]
- Coliadinae (14 genera) (Sulphurs or Yellows)
Many species are sexually dimorphic and patterns are visible only under ultraviolet.[1]
- Pseudopontiinae (Sole species Pseudopontia paradoxa endemic to West Africa.
Consists of about 1100 species in about 76 genera.
[edit] Some popular species
- Brimstone, Gonepteryx rhamni
- California dogface butterfly, Zerene eurydice
- Catalina Orangetip, Anthocharis cethura catalina
- Cloudless Sulphur, Phoebis sennae
- Clouded Yellow, Colias croceus
- Orange Tip, Anthocharis cardamines
[edit] External Links
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e DeVries P. J. in Levin S.A. (ed) 2001 The Encyclopaedia of Biodiversity. Academic Press.
- ^ Borror, D.J. , Triplehorn, C. A. and Johnson, N. An Introduction to the Study of Insects. Sixth Edition.
[edit] See also
