List of butterflies of India (Pieridae)
The article is a list of the pierid butterflies of India. It forms part of the full list of butterflies of India.
The family Pieridae, or the Whites and Yellows are a family of butterflies of moderate or small size. The common names refer to the two predominant colours found on the wings of these butterflies along with markings in black.
Of the 1051 species of pierids occurring in the world, 81 species in 21 genera are found in India.
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Contents
- 1 Distinguishing features
- 2 Classification
- 3 Subfamily Pierinae, The Whites
- 3.1 Genus Aporia, The Blackveins
- 3.2 Genus Baltia, The Dwarfs
- 3.3 Genus Pieris, The Whites
- 3.4 Genus Pontia, The Bath Whites
- 3.5 Genus Anaphaeis, The Pioneers
- 3.6 Genus Cepora, The Gulls
- 3.7 Genus Ixias, The Indian Orange Tips
- 3.8 Genus Delias, The Jezebels
- 3.9 Genus Prioneris, The Sawtooths
- 3.10 Genus Appias, The Puffins and Albatrosses
- 3.11 Genus Leptosia, The Psyche
- 3.12 Genus Euchloe, The Little Whites
- 3.13 Genus Hebomoia, The Great Orange Tip
- 3.14 Genus Colotis, The Arabs
- 3.15 Genus Pareronia, The Wanderers
- 4 Subfamily Coliadinae, The Yellows
- 5 Life cycle
- 6 Food plants
- 7 References
- 8 External links
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Distinguishing features
- Outline of wings usually regular. Hindwings are never tailed.
- Forelegs are fully developed in both sexes.
- The hindwings are channelled at the abdomen to fit the abdomen.
Classification
The family Pieridae has four subfamilies, of which the Whites and the Yellows are well represented in India.
Subfamily Pierinae, The Whites
Genus Aporia, The Blackveins
- Tibet Blackvein, Aporia peloria Hewitson, 1853
- Himalayan Blackvein, Aporia leucodice (Eversman, 1843)
- Dusky Blackvein, Aporia nabellica (Boisduval, 1836)
- Bhutan Blackvein, Aporia harrietae (de Nicéville, 1892)
- Great Blackvein, Aporia agathon (Gray, 1832)
Genus Baltia, The Dwarfs
Genus Pieris, The Whites
- Chumbi White, Pieris chumbiensis de Nicéville, 1897
- Green Banded White, Pieris krueperi devta (de Nicéville, 1884)
- Greenvein White, Pieris napi Linnaeus, 1767
- Naga White, Pieris naganum Moore, 1884
- Kashmir White, Pieris deota (de Nicéville, 1884)
- Large Cabbage-White, Pieris brassicae Linnaeus, 1758
- Indian Cabbage White, Pieris canidia Linnaeus, 1768
- Small Cabbage White, Pieris rapae Linnaeus, 1758
Genus Pontia, The Bath Whites
Genus Anaphaeis, The Pioneers
Genus Cepora, The Gulls
Genus Ixias, The Indian Orange Tips
Genus Delias, The Jezebels
- Yellow Jezebel, Delias agostina Hewitson, 1852
- Common Jezebel, Delias eucharis Drury, 1773
- Painted Jezebel, Delias hyparete Linnaeus, 1758
- Hill Jezebel, Delias belladonna Fabricius, 1793
- Hill Jezebel, Delias sanaca (Moore,1857)
- Dark Jezebel, Delias berinda (Moore,1872)
- Redspot Jezebel, Delias descombesi Boisduval, 1836
- Redbase Jezebel, Delias pasithoe Linnaeus, ?
- Redbreast Jezebel, Delias acalis Godart, 1819
Genus Prioneris, The Sawtooths
Genus Appias, The Puffins and Albatrosses
- Spot Puffin, Appias lalage (Doubleday, 1842)
- Plain Puffin, Appias indra Moore, 1857
- Western Striped Albatross, Appias libythea Fabricius, 1775
- Eastern Striped Albatross, Appias olferna Fabricius, 1775
- Chocolate Albatross, Appias lyncida Cramer, 1777
- Common Albatross, Appias albina Felder
- Lesser Albatross, Appias wardii (Moore, 1884)
- Orange Albatross, Appias nero galba (Wallace, 1867)
- Nicobar Albatross, Appias panda chrysea Fruhstorfer, 1903
Genus Leptosia, The Psyche
Genus Euchloe, The Little Whites
Genus Hebomoia, The Great Orange Tip
Genus Colotis, The Arabs
- Small Salmon Arab, Colotis amata Fabricius, 1775
- Blue-Spotted Arab, Colotis phisadia (Godart, 1819)
- White Arab, Colotis vestalis (Butler, 1876)
- Large Salmon Arab, Colotis fausta (Olivier, 1804)
- Small Orange-Tip, Colotis etrida Boisduval, 1836
- Plain Orange-Tip, Colotis eucharis Fabricius, 1775
- Crimson-Tip, Colotis danae (Fabricius, 1775)
Genus Pareronia, The Wanderers
Subfamily Coliadinae, The Yellows
Genus Catopsilia, The Emigrants
Genus Gonepteryx, The Brimstones
Genus Dercas, The Sulphurs
Genus Eurema, The Grass Yellows
- Small Grass Yellow, Eurema brigitta Cramer, 1780
- Spotless Grass Yellow, Eurema laeta Boisduval, 1836
- Scarce Grass Yellow, Eurema lacteola Distant, 1886
- One-Spot Grass Yellow, Eurema andersonii Moore
- Common Grass Yellow, Eurema hecabe Linnaeus, 1758
- Three-Spot Grass Yellow, Eurema blanda Boisduval, 1836
- Nilgiri Grass Yellow, Eurema nilgiriensis
Genus Gandaca, The Tree Yellow
Genus Colias, The Clouded Yellows
- Lemon Clouded Yellow, Colias thrasibulus Fabricius, 1910
- Ladakh Clouded Yellow, Colias ladakensis C. Felder, 1865
- Everest Clouded Yellow, Colias berylla Fawcett, 1904
- Fawcett's Clouded Yellow, Colias nina Fawcett, 1904
- Pale Clouded Yellow, Colias hyale Linnaeus, 1758
- Fiery Clouded Yellow, Colias eogene C. Felder, 1865
- Orange Clouded Yellow, Colias stoliczkana Moore
- Dwarf Clouded Yellow, Colias dubia Elwes, 1906
- Dark Clouded Yellow, Colias croceus Geoffroy, 1785
- Nilgiri Clouded Yellow, Colias nilgiriensis
Life cycle
- Eggs - Tall, bottle-shaped eggs which are ribbed down the sides. They are generally white, eventually changing to yellow or orange, or, they may be blotched with red.
- Caterpillars - The caterpillars are cylindrical and smooth usually covered with hairy-ended tubercles. They are generally green and have pale longitudinal stripes. They are all generally similar and difficult to distinguish apart.
- Chrysalids - Angular with a pointed head which may be produced into a long snout. Supported by a tail hook and girth, some being suspended head upwards like the Swallowtails and others being fastened horizontally to a leaf or other surface.
Food plants
The foodplants vary considerably, however there is a general trend, in that the Whites mostly use Capers, (family Capparidaceae) while the Yellows usually prefer members of the family Leguminosae, which consist of peas, clover, Cassia and others.
References
- Evans, W.H. (1932) The Identification of Indian Butterflies. (2nd Ed), Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India
- Gay,Thomas; Kehimkar,Isaac & Punetha,J.C.(1992) Common Butterflies of India. WWF-India and Oxford University Press, Mumbai, India.
- Haribal, Meena (1994) Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and their Natural History.
- Kunte,Krushnamegh (2005) Butterflies of Peninsular India. Universities Press.
- Wynter-Blyth, M.A. (1957) Butterflies of the Indian Region, Bombay Natural History Society, Mumbai, India.
External links
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