Eastern Dappled White

Euchloe ausonia (Hübner, [1804])

Status

Description

A medium sized white butterfly with broken black tips to the forewing upperside, and a marbled green hindwing underside. They have yellow-green eyes, a characteristic of the genius. The white spots in the black tip of the forewing distinguish it from female Anthocharis cardamines. The round white spots on the hindwing underside distinguish it from Pontia edusa, where the white marks are irregularly shaped. Also the black discoidal spot is a thin black bar, and not as large as in P. edusa. The female is similar to the male, but with a slight yellowish cast. It has two overlapping broods a year, flying over hot open ground.

Habitat Requirements

This species occupies very similar habitats to the Orange Tip and perhaps this is for many of the same reasons.

Larval Foodplants

Burnt Candytuft Aethionema saxatile subsp. graecum, Aurinia saxatilis, Buckler Mustard  Biscutella didyma (yellow flowers), Mustard Brassica cretica, Turnip or Field Mustard Brassica rapa (cultivated & naturalised), Southern Warty Cabbage Bunias erucago, White Mustard Sinapis alba (yellow flowers), Charlock Sinapis arvensis.

In Corfu, Anne Sordinas has observed oviposition on Field Mustard Brassica rapa.

Observations

A common butterfly in the early spring and on the wing its strong and faster, purposeful flight distinguishes it from the female of A.cardamines.

*The information provided in the tables below is based on verified sightings of the Eastern Dappled White submitted via this website since 1st January 2021.

First and Last Sightings

Year First Last/latest # Days
2023 17/02/2023 05/06/2023 108 days
2022 24/02/2022 25/05/2022 90 days
2021 25/02/2021 05/06/2021 100 days

Number of Observations

Year Number of observations
2023 118
2022 127
2021 101
Grand Total 346

Distribution Map

Distribution maps for this species are currently unavailable.

Flight Times for the Eastern Dappled White (2023)

The chart below shows flight data by month for 2023 submitted online since 1st January 2023 to 8th June 2023.

Flight Times for the Eastern Dappled White (All Data)

The chart below shows flight data by month based on all data submitted online since 1st January 2019 to 8th June 2023.

Taxonomy

  • Vernacular/Common Name: Eastern Dappled White
  • Family: Pieridae (Swainson, 1820)
  • Sub-family: Pierinae (Swainson, 1820)
  • Tribe: Anthocharini (Tutt, 1894)
  • Genus: Euchloe (Hübner, 1819)
  • Species: ausonia (Hübner, [1804])

References

For a list of references, please see our bibliography page.