Pontia helice

Pontia helice, the meadow white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found in southern Africa.[1]

Meadow white
Pontia helice johnstonii - Taita Hills, Kenya
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pieridae
Genus: Pontia
Species:
P. helice
Binomial name
Pontia helice
(Linnaeus, 1764)
Subspecies
  • P. h. helice
  • P. h. johnstonii (Crowley, 1887)
Synonyms
  • Papilio helice Linnaeus, 1764
  • Papilio hellica Linnaeus, 1767
  • Papilio raphani Esper, 1783
  • Synchloe johnstonii Crowley, 1887

Wingspan is 35–40 mm in males and 37–43 mm in females. Flight period is year-round.[2]

The larvae feed on Heliophila species, Lobularia martimia, Lepidum capense, Rapistrum rugosum, and Reseda odorata.[2]

Subspecies
  • P. h. helice (Mozambique, Zimbabwe, southern Botswana, southern Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho)
  • P. h. johnstonii (Crowley, 1887) (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of the Congo)

References
  1. Pontia at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
  2. Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.



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