Alpine whiteling

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Alpine whiteling
Alpine whiteling, subspecies Pontia callidice kalora

Alpine whiteling, subspecies Pontia callidice kalora

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Whitelings (Pieridae)
Subfamily : Pierinae
Genre : Pontia
Type : Alpine whiteling
Scientific name
Pontia callidice
( Huebner , 1800)
Wing underside of the subspecies Pontia callidice kalora

The alpine whitefly ( Pontia callidice ) is a butterfly ( butterfly ) from the whitewash family (Pieridae). The specific epithet is derived from Callidice, one of the fifty daughters of Danaos from Greek mythology .

features

The moths reach a wingspan of 42 to 52 millimeters, have a white wing base and are similar to other whites. Outwardly, they cannot be distinguished from the Reseda butterfly ( Pontia edusa ) and from Pontia daplidice . The undersides of the hind wings are gray-green and light-colored, there is a light, whitish spot in the cell. On the upper side of the forewings, the post disk band does not extend to the rear edge of the wing. The post-disc spots are regularly arrow-shaped and the wing tips ( apex ) are markedly less black than in the similar species Pontia daplidice .

The bluish-gray caterpillars reach a length of up to 32 millimeters and have a pattern consisting of slightly raised black spots and two white back lines with a series of yellow spots. There is also a stigma line on both sides. The caterpillar head is dark gray.

Similar species

Subspecies

Synonyms

  • Synchloe callidice

Occurrence

The habitat of the Alpine whitefly includes grassy, ​​rocky mountain slopes at altitudes of 1,500 to 3,400 meters. Other sources indicate heights of up to 4,500 meters in vertical distribution. Its distribution area extends in the west from the Pyrenees ( Pic du Canigou ) and the Alps through Asia Minor, Lebanon, Iran and Afghanistan to northern India and China and eastern Siberia . The alpine whitefly is mentioned in Germany's Red List of Endangered Animals as a rare species with geographical restrictions. Occurring in Austria in Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg, Styria, Carinthia.

Way of life

The forage plants of the caterpillars include Swiss Schöterich ( Erysimum rhaeticum ) and related cruciferous vegetables , as well as Reseda ( Reseda spec.).

Flight and caterpillar times

The alpine whites form a generation a year that flies from the beginning of June to the beginning of August. The caterpillars can be found from August to September. Occasionally a second generation emerges that flies in August.

swell

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Arnold Spuler: The butterflies of Europe . tape 1 . E. Schweitzerbartsche Verlagbuchhandlung, Stuttgart 1908, p. 7 .
  2. ^ A b Tom Tolman, Richard Lewington: The butterflies of Europe and Northwest Africa , Franckh-Kosmos Verlags-GmbH & Co, Stuttgart 1998, ISBN 3-440-07573-7
  3. ^ European Butterfly Page. Peak White Pontia callidice. Guy Padfield, accessed December 14, 2006 .
  4. a b c David J. Carter, Brian Hargreaves: Caterpillars and butterflies of Europe and their forage plants. Blackwell Wissenschaftsverlag 1987, ISBN 3-8263-8139-4
  5. a b c d e f g h i j k Pieridae of the Holarctic. Photos of specimens and habitats. Heiner Ziegler, accessed on August 9, 2012 .
  6. ^ Pontia callidice. Russian Insects, accessed December 14, 2009 .
  7. Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany. Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9

literature

  • CT Bingham: Fauna of British India. Butterflies. Volume 2. (1907)
  • WH Evans: The Identification of Indian Butterflies. Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India (2nd Edition, 1932)
  • Meena Haribal: Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and their Natural History. (1994)
  • MA Wynter-Blyth: Butterflies of the Indian Region. Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India (1957).

Web links

Commons : Alpen-Weißling  - Album with pictures, videos and audio files