Canary Islands large white

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Canary Islands large white
Pieris cheiranthi qtl1.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pieridae
Genus: Pieris
Species:
P. cheiranthi
Binomial name
Pieris cheiranthi
(Hübner, 1808)

The Canary Islands large white (Pieris cheiranthi) is a species of butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is endemic to the Canary Islands (Spain). [1]

Contents

Pieris cheiranthi female showing the very large black spots characteristic of this species. Pieris.cheiranthi.01.(Zorn).jpg
Pieris cheiranthi female showing the very large black spots characteristic of this species.

Description

Very similar to Pieris brassicae , but the black discal patches are much larger and fused together. It reaches a size of 57 to 66 millimeters.

Distribution

The Canary white is widespread[ dubious ] on La Palma, in Tenerife it is limited to the northern coastal areas. The last records from La Gomera dates back to 1975 and the species is probably extinct on that island. There are also unconfirmed reports from Gran Canaria.

Subspecies

Habitat

The Canary White inhabits wet and moist shady gorges in laurel forests . It also occurs outside the laurel forest zone, for example, wet cliffs with a corresponding microclimate.

Biology

The female lays the eggs on the underside of leaves in piles of 5 to 50 . The larvae have a light green base color and are dotted black. At the top and sides they show a light yellow stripe. Among the food plants of the caterpillars are include Canary silverwort ( Lobularia canariensis ) and nasturtium ( Tropaeolum majus ). Crambe strigosa , endemic to the Canary Islands, seems to be the only natural food plant. The species flies in seven to eight consecutive generations, which partially overlap. The imago occurs throughout the year, a diapause is not known.

Threats

Threatened by habitat loss.

Related Research Articles

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<i>Pinus canariensis</i> Species of conifer in the family Pinaceae

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trocaz pigeon</span> Species of bird

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bolle's pigeon</span> Species of bird

Bolle's pigeon, Bolle's laurel pigeon or dark-tailed laurel pigeon is a species of the genus Columba of family Columbidae, doves and pigeons, endemic to the Canary Islands, Spain. This bird is named after the German naturalist Carl Bolle, who was the first to distinguish it from the laurel pigeon. This wood pigeon is endemic to the laurel forest habitat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurel pigeon</span> Species of bird

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<i>Pieris brassicae</i> Species of butterfly

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurel forest</span> Type of subtropical forest

Laurel forest, also called laurisilva or laurissilva, is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures. The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and elongated leaves, known as "laurophyll" or "lauroid". Plants from the laurel family (Lauraceae) may or may not be present, depending on the location.

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<i>Ilex canariensis</i> Species of holly

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<i>Ocotea foetens</i> Species of tree

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<i>Rhamnus glandulosa</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Leptotes webbianus</i> Species of butterfly

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wildlife of Spain</span>

The wildlife of Spain includes the diverse flora and fauna of Spain. The country located at the south of France has two long coastlines, one on the north on the Cantabrian Sea, another on the East and South East on the Mediterranean Sea, and a smaller one on the west and south west on the Atlantic Ocean, its territory includes a big part of the Iberian Peninsula, the Canary Islands, the Balearic Islands and two enclaves in North Africa, Ceuta and Melilla. The country has many endemic species, especially those restricted to the island groups, and mainly because of the rich geography and the different climate zones, Spain is one of the countries in Europe with the greatest biodiversity.

<i>Ilex perado</i> Species of plant

Ilex perado, the Macaronesian holly, is a species of holly endemic to Macaronesia, distributed throughout the Azores, Madeira and Canary islands. It is an important component of the natural high-altitude Macaronesian rainforest, known as 'laurisilva', found mostly at 500 to 1,200 m altitude but it also appears in forest formations at lower elevation. Many of the subspecies have been classified as threatened, probably because of very small population sizes, and are protected by local, national and regional legislation.

References

  1. 1 2 van Swaay, C.; Wynhoff, I.; Verovnik, R.; Wiemers, M.; López Munguira, M.; Maes, D.; Sasic, M.; Verstrael, T.; Warren, M.; Settele, J. (2010). "Pieris cheiranthi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2010: e.T39484A10227844. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2010-1.RLTS.T39484A10227844.en . Retrieved 16 November 2021.