PAPILIONINAE Swallowtails FAUNA PARAGUAY

PIERIDAE - PIERIDS
Widely distributed with a total of 1200 species reaching their greatest diversity in the tropics. The majority of species are white or yellow, but there are a few brightly-coloured species.
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Characteristics
The most obvious characteristic of the family is the presence of forked pertarsal claws on all legs. The wing-scales possess pterines and the prespiracular bar is lost from the first segment. Adults lack maxillary palpi or they have only a singles segment and the labial palpi are porrect or ascending. Pierids lack an epiphysis and the tibial spur formula is 0-0-2. Pretarsal claws are bifid. One or more branches of the Rs are absent. Humeral veins are present or absent in the hindwing and vein Sc + R diverges from Rs at the base. (Smart 1975; Scoble 1995).

Life Cycles
Pierids frequently show social behaviours, flocking together at salt licks and some species are migratory, capable of flying considerable distances.Eggs are erect, fusiform and possess vertical and horizontal ridges. They may be laid singly or in groups on the host plant. Larcae are cylindrical with small, spherical heads and are covered in fine setae. They lack an osmeterium. Each abdominal segment is separated into six annulets and the crochets are arranged in biordinal or triordinal mesoseries. An anal comb is present in some species. Larvae are usually cryptically-coloured, but may be aposematic in some species. Pupae are attached to the substrate via a cremaster and a silk girdle around the first abdominal segment. They have a single head projection which faces upwards. (Smart 1975; Scoble 1995; Turner D & Stanêk VJ 1992).

Downloadable Book
Click the link below to download an atlas and illustrated guide to the Pierids and Papilionids of Ñeembucú Department by Andres Contreras
Contreras 2009 - Lista Preliminar y Atlas Biogeografico de Especies y Subespecies de la Familia Pieridae y Papilionidae (Lepidoptera) Presentes en el Departamento de Ñeembucú, República del Paraguay: Incluye Notas Bioecológicas y Distribucionales - IBIS, Fundación de Azara, Universidad de Pilar. 4.47mb 74pages

Classification
We currently have images of 19 species in this family. Figures in brackets after the subfamilial names refer to the number of species for which we currently have images.

Superfamily Papilionoidea: Family Pieridae.

Subfamily Coliadinae (14) Sulphurs
Generally yellow, patterned with black. Humeral vein on hindwing reduced or absent. Sc + R1 is not secondarily fused with Rs and M2 arises from the cell. Abundant and conspicuous, in summer it is not unusual to see a cloud of apparently similar-looking yellow butterflies hovering around flowering trees. Look closely though and you will notice that several different species are involved, differing in size and in subtly different shades of yellow. To confound matters males and females usually differ, males generally being more vibrant in their colouration and females often showing black edges and spots on the upperwing. Food plants are generally in the family Fabaceae (Scoble 1995).
*White Angled Sulphur Anteos clorinde - Anteo
*Anteos menippe
*Bicoloured Sulphur Aphrissa statira - Manifestante
*Painted Lemon Eurema elathea - Limoncito Adornado
*Ghost Yellow Eurema albula - Alba
*Deva Yellow Eurema deva - Limoncito
*Melete lycimnia
*Apricot Sulphur Phoebis argante - Yema
*Tailed Sulphur Phoebis neocypris - Ciprina
*Orange-barred Sulphur Phoebis philea - Mañanita
*Cloudless Sulphur Phoebis sennae - Febo
*Leuce Yellow Pyritisia leuce - Limoncito manchado
*Mimosa Yellow Pyrisitia nise - Limoncito del nordeste
*Straight-lined Sulphur Rhabdodryas (=Phoebis) trite - Hoja amarilla

Subfamily Dismorphiinae (3) Mimic Sulphurs
A subfamily of approximately 100 species that is almost entirely confined to South America - a single species occurs in North America and another in Europe. They are recognised by the large, rounded forewings and long, thin abdomen. Flight weak. Eggs are laid individually and larvae are pale green. Food plants are generally in the family Fabaceae. Vein Sc + R1 is not secondarily fused with Rs and M2 arises from the cell (Scoble 1995).
*Pretty Mimic-White Dismorpha astyocha - Bonita
*White Mimic-White Enantia lina - Bonita blanca
*Clean Mimic-White Pseudopieris nehemia - Nehemías

Subfamily Pierinae (3) Whites
A subfamily of almost 700 species, much the largest subfamily of the Pieridae, the Pierinae are worldwide in distribution but reach their greatest diversity in the tropics. Members of this family are commonly known as Whites or Cabbage Whites. They are medium-sized butterflies with predominately white upperwing, usually with characteristic black markings. In general they have long antennae and the body is lightly haired. For the most part they are open country butterflies and avidly sip nectar. They have a long humeral vein on hindwing. Vein Sc + R1 is not secondarily fused with Rs and M2 arises from the cell. Larvae feed on plants in the families Brassicaceae and Loranthaceae (Scoble 1995).
*Great Southern White Ascia monuste - Sayjú
*Tropical White Glutophrissa drusilla - Lechera grande
*Painted White Pieriballia viardi - Sayjú manchada

References:
Canals GR 2000 - Mariposas Bonaerenses - LOLA, Buenos Aires.
Canals GR 2003 - Mariposas de Misiones - LOLA, Buenos Aires.
Scoble MJ 1995 - The Lepidoptera: Form, Function and Diversity - Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Smart P 1975 - The Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Butterfly World - Salamander Books, London
Turner D, Stanêk VJ 1992 - The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Butterflies and Moths - Select Editions, London.