LEPIDOPTERA

• PIERIDAE Duponchel,1835

  • PONTIA Fabricius,1807

    
    

    • Pontia chloridice (Hubner, [1813])

Pontia chloridice (Hubner, [1813])

• TYPE LOCALITY. Unknown, probably S. Russia.

• RANGE. From the Balkans and S. Russia across Asia Minor, Middle Asia and Kazakhstan to S. Siberia and Mongolia.

• DISTRIBUTION AND VARIATION. The central and southern areas of the European part and Siberia, the Caucasus Major and Minor, the Armenian Highland, Talysh, Turan, Tian-Shan, Ghissar, Darvaz, Alai, the W. Pamirs, all populated by the nominate subspecies (= rossiae Esper, 1784, nom. praeoccup.).

• HABITATS AND BIOLOGY. Various types of habitats with xerophytic vegetation up to 4,000 m a.s.1. Flight period: April-July in two generations, in highlands in a single generation in June-July. Host plants (Barrel, 1914; Korshunov, 1981; etc.): Sisymbrium, Sinapis, Descurainia, etc. Pupa hibernating.

• SIMILAR SPECIES. P. daplidice: UNH white spots rounded. P. callidice: UPS black colour more strongly developed; UPF median white stripe in discal spot faint or absent. P. glauconome: UNH ground colour yellowish with faint markings.

Photo and text: Guide to the BUTTERFLIES OF RUSSIA and adjacent territories Volume 1. PENSOFT, Sofia - Moscow. 1997