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West Virginia white (Pieris virginiensis)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.


FAMILY: Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
SUBFAMILY: Whites (Pierinae)


IDENTIFICATION: Wings are translucent, whitish, with no yellowish tint
underneath. Underside of hindwings with blurry brown or pale gray
scaling along veins.


LIFE HISTORY: Males patrol slowly to locate females. Eggs are laid singly
on undersides of host plant leaves. Chrysalids hibernate on stems or
plant litter under the plant.


FLIGHT: In the North, one flight in May; in the South, one flight from
April-May.


WING SPAN: 1 3/4 - 2 1/8 inches (4.5 - 5.3 cm).


CATERPILLAR HOSTS: Toothworts (Dentaria diphylla and Dentaria

laciniata) in the mustard (Brassicaceae) family.


ADULT FOOD: Flower nectar from toothworts, spring beauty, violets, and
other plants.


HABITAT: Moist deciduous woodlands or mixed woods.


RANGE: Northern Great Lakes states and from New England southwest
along the Appalachians to north Georgia and northeast Alabama.


CONSERVATION: A species of native, relatively undisturbed habitats.
Declining due to timbering, development, and spread of garlic mustard
(Alliaria officinalis).


NATURESERVE GLOBAL STATUS: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though
it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.


MANAGEMENT NEEDS: Control spread of garlic mustard. Ensure
timbering intensity allows recovery of sufficient habitats on local scale.


SKY MEADOWS OCCURRENCE:

 

Note: Due to seasonal conditions in this region, occurrence may vary from

year to year. The designation of occurrence may range over two or more

categories and may vary even during a single season.

 

Key to Checklist

A   Abundant: Easy to see very large numbers of individuals in appropriate habitat
      at proper time of year.
C   Common: Usually each to see good numbers of individuals in appropriate habitat
      at proper time of year.
U   Uncommon: Sometimes found in appropriate habitat and proper time of year,
      usually in low numbers.
O   Occasional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times a year, usually
      in low numbers.
R   Rare: Small chance of being found, even in appropriate habitat at proper time of
      year. There are few individuals and may not be present every year.

X   Extirpated: Formerly present, no longer occurs in Sky Meadows Park.

 

      January

      February

      March

      April
     
May

      June

      July

      August

      September

      October

      November

      December

 

 

Back to Inventory of Butterfly Families and Species

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