Pontia occidentalis
Encyclopedia
The Western White is a butterfly
in the family Pieridae
. It is found in Western North America
.
The wingspan
is 38 to 53 millimeters. The host plants are from the Brassicaceae
(mustard or cabbage) family. The caterpillars eat especially the flowers, buds and fruit. In the north of the range, one generation flies in June and July; in the south two generations fly from May to August.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
in the family Pieridae
Pieridae
The Pieridae are a large family of butterflies with about 76 genera containing approximately 1,100 species, mostly from tropical Africa and Asia. Most pierid butterflies are white, yellow or orange in coloration, often with black spots...
. It is found in Western North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
The wingspan
Wingspan
The wingspan of an airplane or a bird, is the distance from one wingtip to the other wingtip. For example, the Boeing 777 has a wingspan of about ; and a Wandering Albatross caught in 1965 had a wingspan of , the official record for a living bird.The term wingspan, more technically extent, is...
is 38 to 53 millimeters. The host plants are from the Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae
Brassicaceae, a medium sized and economically important family of flowering plants , are informally known as the mustards, mustard flowers, the crucifers or the cabbage family....
(mustard or cabbage) family. The caterpillars eat especially the flowers, buds and fruit. In the north of the range, one generation flies in June and July; in the south two generations fly from May to August.