Zerene eurydice

Zerene eurydice
Zerene eurydice , male
Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta) Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera) Family : Whitelings (Pieridae) Subfamily : Yellowlings (Coliadinae) Genre : Zerene Type : Zerene eurydice
Scientific name
Zerene eurydice
( Boisduval , 1855)

female

Wing underside

Amorpha californica, the main food plant of the caterpillar

Stamp

Zerene eurydice ( synonym : Colias eurydice ) is an endemic in California occurring butterfly ( butterfly ) from the family of Whites (Pieridae). It is listedas a state butterfly in Californiaunder the name California Dogface .

features

butterfly

The moths reach a wingspan of 51 to 63 millimeters. There is a clear sexual dimorphism between the sexes . In the males, the basic color on the upper side of the forewing is black-brown. The disk region is yellow and extends in the middle to the post- disk region . This region shimmers iridescent purple depending on the incidence of light . A large black discal spot stands out clearly. The drawing with the black eye-like discal spot resembles the profile of a dog's face, which is why the species is called California Dogface in English . The upper side of the hind wing has an orange yellow color. One or two orange discal spots stand out only indistinctly. Both wing undersides are pale yellow. On the underside of the forewing there is a white discal spot with a thin black border. The hind wing underside shows two indistinct white central spots. The females are colored yellow almost without drawing on all wing upper sides, only a dark discal spot stands out. The apex is very pointed. On the undersides of the wings, the drawing resembles that of the males.

Egg, caterpillar, pupa

The eggs have the shape of an elongated ellipsoid of revolution , a yellowish color and weak longitudinal ribs. Adult caterpillars are colored green and show a white side stripe. The doll is designed as a belt doll and has a grass-green color, from which a light side line stands out. Shortly before hatching, the wing pattern already shines through the wing sheaths.

Similar species

Zerene cesonia (English called Southern Dogface ) differs in that the yellowish area around the discal spot on the forewing side only has a weakly iridescent shimmer and the black-brown submarginal region is narrower than in Zerene eurydice .

distribution and habitat

Zerene eurydice is endemic to California.

The species primarily inhabits chaparral zones as well as light oak and coniferous forests.

Way of life

The moths fly from February to December, the maximum abundance is in the months of April and May as well as July and August. Both sexes like to suckle on flowers for food intake. The females lay the eggs individually on the underside of the food plants. The caterpillars live individually and prefer to feed on the leaves of Amorpha californica, which belongs to the legumes (Fabaceae) .

Trivia

The US Post Office was formed in 1977 to Dogface -Schmetterling then still under the name Colias eurydice onto a postage stamp.

Individual evidence

1. ^ California Dogface at Butterflies and Moths of North America
2. ↑ ^{a b c} James A. Scott: The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California 1986, ISBN 0-8047-1205-0 , p. 202
3. ↑ Markku Savela: Tanaecia Butler (1869) - distribution. In: Lepidoptera and some other life forms. Retrieved January 22, 2019 . 

literature

James A. Scott: The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California 1986, ISBN 0-8047-1205-0 , p. 202

Web links

Commons : Zerene eurydice  - collection of images, videos and audio files

• butterfliesofamerica - Egg, caterpillar and pupa at Butterflies of America
• bugguide - California Dogface at Iowa State University's BugGuide