Colotis fausta

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Colotis fausta
Colotis fausta, male

Colotis fausta , male

Systematics
Class : Insects (Insecta)
Order : Butterflies (Lepidoptera)
Family : Whitelings (Pieridae)
Subfamily : True whiteflies (Pierinae)
Genre : Colotis
Type : Colotis fausta
Scientific name
Colotis fausta
( Olivier , 1804)
female

Colotis fausta is a butterfly ( butterflies ) from the family of white flies (Pieridae) that occursin Africa and Asia.

features

butterfly

The moths reach a wingspan of 44 to 57 millimeters. In some forms, there is a strong sexual dimorphism between the sexes . In males, the base color on the upper side of all wings is orange-yellow, paler in specimens from desert areas and darker in those found in humid regions. The apex area on the upper side of the forewing is colored black-brown and broken up with a few orange-yellow spots. A large black discal spot stands out clearly. The hem area on the upper side of the hind wing has a black-brown color. Females come in two different color variants. Form 1: The basic color and markings are the same as for the male. Form 2: The basic color on the upper side of all wings is milky white, the black-brown apex markings are similar to those of the male, but are usually wider and interspersed with whitish spots. In both sexes, parts of the upper side drawing shine through to the undersides of the wings in a weakened form and also show a transverse row of dark brown dots in the middle of the rear wings.

  • Underside of wing male

  • Lower wing female

Egg, caterpillar, pupa

The barrel-shaped eggs have a creamy white color and are ringed with reddish bands. Adult caterpillars are colored green and show a light yellow back line. The doll is designed as a belt doll and has a light brown to gray-brown color. The wing sheaths protrude clearly.

Distribution, subspecies and habitat

The range of occurrence of the species extends through Israel , Syria , Turkey , Iran , Afghanistan , Turkmenistan , India , Sri Lanka , Somalia , Chad and the Arabian Peninsula . In addition to the nominate form Colotis fausta fausta , the following subspecies are also listed:

  • Colotis fausta faustina ( C. Felder & R. Felder , 1867)
  • Colotis fausta fulvia ( Wallace , 1867)
  • Colotis fausta mijurteina Carpenter , 1951
  • Colotis fausta vi ( Swinhoe , 1884)

The species primarily inhabits open grasslands and riparian areas.

Way of life

Cadaba fruticosa , a food plant of caterpillars

The moths fly in several generations throughout the year. They like to suckle on flowers for food intake. Investigations in India found ten to twelve consecutive generations per year. A development time from the egg to the caterpillar and pupa to the hatching of the moths of 19 to 26 days was determined. The caterpillars feed on the leaves of caper plants (Capparaceae), preferably Cadaba fruticosa and Capparis herbacea .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Charles B. ANTRAM: Butterflies of India , Mittal Publications, New Delhi, 1924
  2. ↑ a b Markku Savela: Tanaecia Butler, (1869) - distribution. In: Lepidoptera and some other life forms. Retrieved January 21, 2019 .
  3. ↑ a b S. Appala Naidu and SP Venkata Ramana: Life Cycle of the Large Salmon Butterfly Colotis fausta (Lepidoptera: Rhopalocera: Ppieridae) from India , International Journal of The Bioscan, Vol. 5, No. 4, 2010, pp. 583-584

Web links

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