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List of butterflies of India (Pieridae)

This 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.

The common Jezebel (Delias eucharis), is a brightly coloured pierid found in South Asia.

Distinguishing features edit

  • 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 edit

Worldwide, family Pieridae has four subfamilies, of which the whites and the yellows are well represented in India.

Subfamily Pierinae, whites edit

Genus Aporia, blackveins edit

Genus Baltia, dwarfs edit

Genus Pieris, whites edit

Genus Pontia, Bath whites edit

Genus Anaphaeis, pioneers edit

Genus Cepora, gulls edit

Genus Ixias, Indian orange tips edit

Genus Delias, Jezebels edit

Genus Prioneris, sawtooths edit

Genus Appias, puffins and albatrosses edit

Genus Leptosia, Psyche edit

Genus Euchloe, little whites edit

Genus Hebomoia, great orange tip edit

Genus Colotis, Arabs edit

Genus Pareronia, wanderers edit

Subfamily Coliadinae, yellows edit

Genus Catopsilia, emigrants edit

Genus Gonepteryx, brimstones edit

Genus Dercas, sulphurs edit

Genus Eurema, grass yellows edit

Genus Gandaca, tree yellow edit

Genus Colias, clouded yellows edit

Life cycle edit

  • 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 edit

The food plants 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 edit

  • Evans, W.H. (1932). The Identification of Indian Butterflies (2nd ed.). Mumbai, India: Bombay Natural History Society.
  • Gay, Thomas; Kehimkar, Isaac David; Punetha, Jagdish Chandra (1992). Common Butterflies of India. Nature Guides. Bombay, India: World Wide Fund for Nature-India by Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195631647.
  • Haribal, Meena (1992). The Butterflies of Sikkim Himalaya and Their Natural History. Gangtok, Sikkim, India: Sikkim Nature Conservation Foundation.
  • Kunte, Krushnamegh (2000). Butterflies of Peninsular India. India, A Lifescape. Hyderabad, India: Universities Press. ISBN 978-8173713545.
  • Wynter-Blyth, Mark Alexander (1957). Butterflies of the Indian Region. Bombay, India: Bombay Natural History Society. ISBN 978-8170192329.

External links edit

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