Pontia daplidice (Linnaeus, 1758)


Pontia daplidice: Adult (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Adult (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Adult (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Adult (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Adult (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Adult (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Adult (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Adult (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Adult (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Adult (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Adult (e.l. La Gomera) [S] Pontia daplidice: Adult [S] Pontia daplidice: Adult (Camargue, mid-October 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Adult (Camargue, mid-October 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Adult (La Gomera, 2006) [N] Pontia daplidice: Adult [S] Pontia daplidice: Egg (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Egg (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Egg (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Egg (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Egg (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: L1-larva (e.o. La Gomera 2013) [S] Pontia daplidice: Young larva (La Gomera, February 2013) [M] Pontia daplidice: Young larva (La Gomera, February 2013) [M] Pontia daplidice: Young larva (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Half-grown larva (La Gomera, February 2013) Pontia daplidice: Half-grown larva (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Half-grown larva (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Larva on Carrichtera annua (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Larva [S] Pontia daplidice: Larva (La Gomera 2008) [N] Pontia daplidice: Larva (La Palma, December 2010) [M] Pontia daplidice: Larva (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Larva (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Larva (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Larva (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Larva (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Larva (parasitized, eggs visible, La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Larva (parasitized, eggs visible, La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Larva (La Palma, December 2010) [M] Pontia daplidice: Larva (La Gomera, February 2013) [N] Pontia daplidice: Pupa [S] Pontia daplidice: Pupa [S] Pontia daplidice: Pupa (e.l. La Palma 2010) [S] Pontia daplidice: Pupa prior to emergence [S] Pontia daplidice: Habitat in dry open landscape in Fuerteventura in February 2011 [N] Pontia daplidice: Habitat on la Gomera (February 2013) with Carrichtera annua, Hirschfeldia incana and others. [N]

Host plants:
Brassicaceae and Reseda. I found eggs and caterpillars in the French Crau to Diplotaxis tenuifolia, in the Italian Susa Valley on Reseda. In the Canaries, the species oviposits on a broad variety of Brassicaceae such as Carrichtera annua, Hirschfeldia incana, Erucastrum canariense or Lobularia canariensis.

Habitat:
Pontia daplidice inhabits hot-dry open land. The butterfly lives in the Mediterranean coastal dunes, on rocky, hot slopes etc. In western parts of Central Europe it is observed in sandy, hot habitats, mostly as rare migrant butterfly.

Life cycle:
Pontia daplidice occurs in several generations per year. The pupa overwinters. The butterflies are on the wing between April and October and are most common in late summer. In the Canaries, they can be found all year round. Oviposition occurs mostly in the inflorescence and more rarely also on stems.

Endangerment factors:
Pontia daplidice is endangered north of the Alps by the decline of sandy grasslands as well as warm fallow areas. Pontia daplidice is more common and still not particularly threatened in Southwestern Europe.

Remarks:
The Pontia daplidice complex consists of a eastern taxon Pontia edusa that occurs from Central Europe and the major part of Italy to East Asia, and the western Pontia daplidice (North Africa, Canaries and Southwestern Europe to west Germany and Northwest Italy).



Pontia callidice | Pontia chloridice | Pontia edusa