Checkered white, Pontia protodice

Female. Peters Canyon, Orange, Orange County, CA. 10/15/05	Checkered White Pontia protodice Lepidoptera: Pieridae Photos copyright: Peter J. Bryant (pjbryant@uci.edu). Contact for originals. Back to Butterflies of Orange County, California Back to Arthropods of Orange County, California Back to Natural History of Orange County, California
Female. Peters Canyon, Orange, Orange County, CA. 10/15/05	Male
Larva	Pupa
Characteristics: Ventral wings with greenish markings (absent on Pieris rapae). Female heavily marked on dorsal wings with black-brown. Forewing length: 21-26 mm. Similar Species: The male of this species and Pieris rapae look similar and would be hard to distinguish in flight. Habitats, Behavior: The Common White is often encountered in semi-disturbed sites, but almost never in urbanized areas and rare1y in the chaparral plant community. Distribution: Found primarily in the foothills, undeveloped lowlands, and sometimes in vacant lots within Orange County. The Checkered White also occurs frequently in the canyons of the Santa Ana Mountains. Flight Period: Our records extend from early February to late October, although the species probably could be found throughout the year. Multiple brooded, the spring brood (April-May) is the largest. Larval Foodplants: Mustard. Emmel and Emmel (1973) list the following "mustards" (all of which are common in Orange County) as larval foodplants: Cleome, Brassica and Sisymbrium. Other introduced cruciferous plants are also said to be utilized. From Orsak, L. J. (1977). The Butterflies of Orange County, California. Center for Pathobiology Miscellaneous Publication #3. University of California Press, New York. 349pp. Return to Butterflies and their larval foodplants Return to Natural History of Orange County, California