Subfamily Pierinae — Whites |
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| Butterfly | Link to photos | Where and When | Host plant |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pontia beckerii Becker's White |
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Deserts where host Bladderpod grows, Feb - October; dependable at Yaqui Well, Cottonwood Spring | Bladderpod (Isomeris arborea), Prince's plume (Stanleya pinnata) |
| Pontia protodice Checkered White |
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All year, many rural areas and occasionally in gardens; easily found at Bolsa Chica | Mustards (Brassicaceae) inc. London Rocket |
| Pontia sisymbrii sisymbrii Spring White |
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Mostly Mar - July; mountains, deserts | Mustards (Brassicaceae) |
| Pieris rapae Cabbage White |
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Common year-round even in urban areas; non-native | Mustards (Brassicaceae) inc. Nasturtiums |
| Euchloe hyantis hyantis 'California' Pearly Marble |
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Late March to mid-July; Anza-Borrego seems to be the best spot | Mustards (Brassicaceae) |
| Euchloe hyantis nr lotta (high E. San Bern Mtns population) |
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East side of San Bernardino Mtns around Big Bear, April - June?, one brood | Usually Tansy Mustard (Descurainia) |
| Euchloe hyantis andrewsi Andrew's Marble |
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June to early July, San Bernardino Mtns 5000-6000' elev. | Streptanthus bernardinus and Arabis holboellii |
| Euchloe hyantis lotta 'Desert' Pearly Marble |
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Deserts such as Joshua Tree, late Feb to early June | Mustards (Brassicaceae) |
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Anthocharis cethura cethura Desert Orangetip |
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Feb to early May, desert edge; TL is Little Rock nr Pearblossom | Mustards (Brassicaceae) including Lacepod (Thysanocarpus curvipes) and Tansy Mustard (Descurainia pinnata) |
| Anthocharis cethura catalina 'Catalina' Desert Orangetip |
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Catalina Island only March - April | Mustards (Brassicaceae) |
| Anthocharis cethura morrisoni 'Morrison's' Desert Orangetip |
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Feb to mid-April, Kern County | |
| Anthocharis cethura mojavensis 'Mojave' Desert Orangetip |
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Well out in the mojave desert, such as Providence Mtns, late Feb to early May | |
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Anthocharis sara sara Sara Orangetip |
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Local mtns such as Malibu Creek, San Gabriels, two broods Feb to June | Several mustards (Brassicaceae) including Lacepod (Thysanocarpus curvipes), Nevada Rockcress (Arabis perennans) |
| Anthocharis lanceolata australis 'Grinell's' Gray Marble |
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Mostly mountains, late March to May | Sicklepod Rockcress (Arabis sparsiflora) |
| Anthocharis lanceolata desertolimbus 'Desert Edge' Gray Marble |
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Late Feb to early April, Anza-Borrego up to Palm Springs | Nevada Rockcress (Arabis perennans) |
Subfamily Coliadinae — Sulphurs |
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| Butterfly | Link to photos | Where and When | Host plant |
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Colias eurytheme Orange Sulphur |
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Feb to Nov, common in rural areas | Many Pea family members inc. Astragalus, Lotus and Lupine spp. |
| Colias harfordii Harford's Sulphur |
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Late March to early Oct, most mountain ranges | Locoweeds, Deerweed (Pea family) |
| Zerene cesonia cesonia Southern Dogface |
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Eastern Calif. ranges, April to June and a fall brood around Sept - Oct | False Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa), Clovers, others |
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Zerene eurydice California Dogface |
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Local Mtns April to Sept (2 broods); common in San Bernardinos late summer | False Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa) |
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Phoebis sennae marcellina 'Southwestern' Cloudless Sulphur |
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Common in gardens and parks around host Senna year-round | Senna (Cassia spp.) |
| Phoebis agarithe fisheri Large Orange Sulphur |
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Usually far east Cal., but I've seen them in Palm Desert, most of the year | Senna?, Pithecellobium? |
| Phoebis philea philea Orange-barred Sulphur |
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May be breeding in San Diego; stray elsewhere, most of the year | |
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Eureme mexicana Mexican Yellow |
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Summer through fall, desert side of mountains | Senna (Cassia spp.) |
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Abaeis nicippe Sleepy Orange |
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Most of the year, mostly deserts | Senna (Cassia spp.) |
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Nathalis iole Dainty Sulphur |
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Deserts and mountains; flies March - early November | Several inc. Beggar-ticks, Marigolds, Spanish Needles |