Pieridae : Pierinae
Eastern Bath White
PONTIA edusa (Fabricius, 1777)
Eastern Bath White
PONTIA edusa (Fabricius, 1777)
Life Cycle Guide
Description
Wingspan: 35 - 49mm
Worldwide Distribution: France eastwards to Japan : Europe - Including - Northern and eastern region,replaced in south west by P.daplidice. Migrants reach as far as northernmost countries. Flies in Italy,Balkans and Crete.In Great Britain occasional migrant , and rare immigrant in Ireland. UK Distribution:
Flight Period: April - September - bivoltine or multivoltine where depending on latitude four generations are possible
Habitat: Uncultivated places : Roadside Verges : Crop field margins : Hot barren areas
Similar Species -
Pupa: Pupates under leaf or attached to stem of host plant
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: Although similar to Bath White, and with external appearance being the same,it is necessary in order to separate the two species,especially in the western Europe migratory areas,to revert to DNA testing and genitalia inspection as the two are biochemically different.
Although the exact range of these two "pontia" species is uncertain ,especially when considering the migratory range as well, it would now appear in general terms that the Bath White is found in southern Europe and the Eastern Bath White in northern Europe,including areas of Italy and Balkans, with some overlapping where some countries have both species.
A small to medium sized butterfly, the first brood butterflies males and females tend to be smaller than subsequent broods with the males showing black markings around the apex area and a medium sized discal spot with a single black patch on hindwing. The female is much heavier marked with similar apex markings,a large discal spot and further subterminal row of spots on hindwing.
Worldwide Distribution: France eastwards to Japan : Europe - Including - Northern and eastern region,replaced in south west by P.daplidice. Migrants reach as far as northernmost countries. Flies in Italy,Balkans and Crete.In Great Britain occasional migrant , and rare immigrant in Ireland. UK Distribution:
- Rare Migrant
- Not Applicable
- In strong decline
- Papilio edusa (Fabricius, 1777)
- Papilio daplidice Linnaeus, 1758
- Germany - "Chilonii (Kiel)"
Flight Period: April - September - bivoltine or multivoltine where depending on latitude four generations are possible
Habitat: Uncultivated places : Roadside Verges : Crop field margins : Hot barren areas
Similar Species -
- Bath White - Pontia daplidice Linnaeus, 1758
Pupa: Pupates under leaf or attached to stem of host plant
Overwinters as: Pupa
Observations: Although similar to Bath White, and with external appearance being the same,it is necessary in order to separate the two species,especially in the western Europe migratory areas,to revert to DNA testing and genitalia inspection as the two are biochemically different.
Although the exact range of these two "pontia" species is uncertain ,especially when considering the migratory range as well, it would now appear in general terms that the Bath White is found in southern Europe and the Eastern Bath White in northern Europe,including areas of Italy and Balkans, with some overlapping where some countries have both species.
A small to medium sized butterfly, the first brood butterflies males and females tend to be smaller than subsequent broods with the males showing black markings around the apex area and a medium sized discal spot with a single black patch on hindwing. The female is much heavier marked with similar apex markings,a large discal spot and further subterminal row of spots on hindwing.
Photo Gallery
Larval Food Plants Worldwide
Note - Plants hyperlinked in red below take the visitor to the relevant plant page on"Plants for a Future" website where further information like photos,physical characteristics,habitats,edible uses,medicinal uses,cultivation,propagation,range,height etc. are clearly listed.
Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
Plant Families - in bold red below takes the visitor to the relevant "Lepi-plants" page where other butterflies & moths using the plants below are listed.
- Brassicaceae - Mustards - Mustard Flowers - Cabbage Family
- Descurainia sophia - Flixweed, Herb sophia
- Diplotaxis tenuifolia - Perennial Wall Rocket
- Eruca sativa - Rocket Salad
- Lepidium graminifolium - Grassleaf pepperweed
- Lepidium vesicarium - No Common Name
- Raphanus raphanistrum - Wild Radish ssp maritumus - Sea Radish
- Teesdalia nudicaulis - Shepherd's Cress
- Sisymbrium officinale - Hedge Mustard
- Resedaceae - Mainly Mediterranean herbs, including the Mignonette
- Reseda alba - White Mignonette
- Reseda lutea - Wild Mignonette
- Reseda luteola - Dyers Rocket - Dyers Weed
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Brassicaceae - Iberis - Candytuft/Lepidium - Pepperwort
- Note - Larvae also feed on the following plant families
- Reseda alba - White Mignonette
Larval Food Plants
|
|
|
Taxonomy
Kingdom:
Subkingdom: Phylum: Subphylum Class: Order: Superfamily: Family: Subfamily Tribe: Genus: Accepted Species Name: Type Species - PONTIA: Original Species Name: Species Names: Literary Ref: Type Locality: Subspecies: |
Animalia
Eumetozoa Arthropoda Hexapoda Insecta Lepidoptera Papilionoidea Pieridae Pierinae Pierini PONTIA Fabricius, 1807 Pontia edusa (Fabricius, 1777) - Papilio daplidice Linnaeus, 1758 - PAPILIO edusa (Fabricius, 1777) = Pieris edusa - Ioh. Christ. Fabricii histor. nat. oecon. et cameral. prof. ... Genera insectorum : eorumque characteres naturales secundum numerum, figuram, situm et proportionem, omnium partium oris adiecta Mantissa specierum nuper detectarum by Fabricius, Johann Christian, 1745-1808; Title Page : p.255 - n.126/27 - Germany - "Chilonii (Kiel)" - P. e. edusa (Fabricius, 1777) (Finland and north east and south east Central Europe, Italy, Turkey, the Caucasus, Ukraine, Russia) P. e. persica (Bienert, 1869) (Iran, Afghanistan) P. e. nubicola (Fruhstorfer, 1908) (Turkestan) P. e. amphimara (Fruhstorfer, 1908) (China (Szetschwan), Yunnan) P. e. praeclara Fruhstorfer, 1910 (south west China) P. e. moorei (Röber, 1907) (Kashmir, Baluchistan, Tibet, Yunnan, south east China, Thailand) P. e. avidia (Fruhstorfer, 1908) (southern China, Korea) P. e. davendra Hemming, 1934 (Siberia (Ussuri)) |