Pieridae 292320 221053375 2008-06-22T21:16:51Z Wloveral 3573669 copyedit {{Taxobox | name = Pieridae | image = Lepidoptera 2005 spring 001.jpg | image_caption = The Small White (''Pieris rapae'') | regnum = [[Animal]]ia | phylum = [[Arthropod]]a | classis = [[Insect]]a | ordo = [[Lepidoptera]] | subordo = [[Ditrysia]] | superfamilia = [[Papilionoidea]] | familia = '''Pieridae''' | familia_authority = [[Philogène Auguste Joseph Duponchel|Duponchel]], [[1835]] | diversity = 76 genera<br>1,051 species | diversity_link = Lepidopteran diversity | subdivision_ranks = [[Subfamilies]] | subdivision = [[Dismorphiinae]] <br/> [[Pseudopontiinae]]<br/> [[Pierinae]]<br/> [[Coliadinae]] }} The '''Pieridae''' are a large [[family (biology)|family]] of [[butterfly|butterflies]] with about 76 genera containing approximately 1100 species, mostly from tropical Africa and Asia.<ref name="eob">DeVries P. J. in Levin S.A. (ed) 2001 The Encyclopaedia of Biodiversity. Academic Press.</ref> These butterflies are characterised by mainly white or yellow coloration, often with black spots. The sexes usually differ, often in the pattern or number of the black markings. The [[larva]]e ([[caterpillar]]s) of a few of these species feed on [[brassica]]s, and are [[agricultural]] pests. Males of many species exhibit gregarious mud-puddling behavior when they may imbibe salts from moist soils.<ref name="eob"/> ==Classification== The Pieridae have the radial vein on the forewing with 3 or 4 branches and rarely with 5 branches. The fore legs are well developed in both sexes, unlike in the Nymphalidae, and the tarsal claws are bifid unlike in the Papilionidae.<ref>Borror, D. J., Triplehorn, C. A., & Johnson, N. F. (1989). ''An introduction to the study of insects'' (6th ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders College Publishers. ISBN 0030253977 </ref> Like the Papilionidae, Pieridae also have their pupae held at an angle by a silk girdle, but running at the first abdominal segment unlike the thoracic girdle seen in the Papilionidae. ==Subfamilies== The Pieridae are generally divided into the following four [[subfamily|subfamilies]]: *[[Dismorphiinae]] (6 genera) Mostly Neotropical, this group includes several mimetical species. The host plants are in the family [[Fabaceae]].<ref name="eob"/> *[[Pierinae]] (55 genera) Whites, Yellow, Orange-tips, many of these species are strongly migratory. Host plants are in the families [[Capparidaceae]], [[Brassicaceae]], [[Santalaceae]], and [[Loranthaceae]].<ref name="eob"/> *[[Coliadinae]] (14 genera) (Sulphurs or Yellows, many of these species are [[sexual dimorphism|sexually dimorphic]]. Some, such as Colias, have wing patterns that are visible only under ultraviolet.<ref name="eob"/> *[[Pseudopontiinae]] The sole species in this subfamily, ''Pseudopontia paradoxa'', is endemic to West Africa. According to the molecular phylogenetic study of Braby et al. (2006), sister group relationships among Pieridae subfamilies are: ((Dismorphiinae+Pseudopontiinae)+(Coliadinae+Pierinae)). [[Image:Sulfur5976.JPG|thumb|left|300px|''Cloudless sulfurs'' [[mud-puddling]] on a damp spot, [[Stuckey, South Carolina]]]] ==Some popular species== * [[Brimstone (butterfly)|Brimstone]], ''Gonepteryx rhamni'' * [[California dogface butterfly]], ''Zerene eurydice'' * [[Catalina Orangetip]], ''Anthocharis cethura catalina'' * [[Cloudless Sulphur]], ''Phoebis sennae'' * [[Clouded Yellow]], ''Colias croceus'' * [[Orange Tip]], ''Anthocharis cardamines'' == Some pest species == * ''[[Colias eurytheme]]'', Alfalfa butterfly * ''[[Colias philodice]]'', Alfalfa butterfly * ''[[Pieris rapae]]'', Cabbage butterfly * ''[[Pieris brassicae]]'', Large White or Cabbage White ==External links== *[http://www.pieris.ch/index.html Holarctic Pieridae] ==References== {{reflist}} * Braby, M. F. 2005. Provisional checklist of genera of the Pieridae (Lepidoptera: Papilionidae). ''Zootaxa'' 832: 1–16. * Braby, M., R. Vila, and N. E. Pierce. 2006. Molecular phylogeny and systematics of the Pieridae (Lepidoptera: Papilionoidea: higher classification and biogeography. ''Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society'' 147(2): 239-275. ==See also== * [[List of butterflies of India (Pieridae)]] * [[List of British butterflies]] {{Lepidoptera}} {{Pieridae-stub}} [[Category:Pieridae| ]] [[Category:Insect families]] [[de:Weißlinge]] [[et:Põualibliklased]] [[es:Pieridae]] [[fr:Pieridae]] [[fy:Wytflinters]] [[ko:흰나비과]] [[hsb:Běłonki]] [[it:Pieridae]] [[ka:თეთრულასებრნი]] [[lt:Baltukai]] [[hu:Fehérlepkék]] [[nl:Witjes (vlinders)]] [[ja:シロチョウ]] [[no:Hvitvinger]] [[pl:Bielinkowate]] [[pt:Pieridae]] [[ru:Белянки (бабочки)]] [[sk:Mlynárikovité]] [[fi:Kaaliperhoset]] [[sv:Vitfjärilar]] [[uk:Біланові]] [[zh:粉蝶科]]