Spinach butterfly - Spinach butterfly

This butterfly belongs to the family Pieridae of the order Lepidoptera of the class Insecta. It is widely distributed from Hokkaido to Kyushu, with Yakushima being the southernmost limit of its distribution. Outside of Japan, it is found in the Korean Peninsula and China, and is endemic to East Asia. The wingspan is about 48 mm. The tips of the forewings protrude like a hook, and in males the tips are orange, while in females the same white as the ground color, and the underside has a unique grass pattern on the entire backwing and the tips of the forewings, making it extremely distinctive, and there are no other similar species in Japan or nearby. It appears once a year, in early spring, and the time of its appearance can be determined by the flowering of cherry blossoms in the area. The larvae feed on Brassicaceae plants such as various species of the genus Arctium, dog-eared mustard, and cardamom, and the larvae grow by feeding on their fruits.

[Takashi Shiramizu]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

昆虫綱鱗翅(りんし)目シロチョウ科に属するチョウ。北海道より九州にわたる各地に分布が広く、屋久島がその分布の南限。国外では朝鮮半島、中国に産し、東アジアの特産種。はねの開張48ミリメートル内外。前ばねの先端は鉤(かぎ)状に突出し、雄では先端部は橙(だいだい)色、雌では地色と同じ白色、裏面には後ろばねの全面と前ばねの先端部に独特の草摺(くさず)り模様があり、きわめて特徴があって、これに紛らわしい種は日本およびその付近にはいない。年1回の発生、早春に現れ、出現期はその地域のサクラの開花期が目安となる。幼虫の食草はハタザオ属の各種、イヌガラシ、タネツケバナなどのアブラナ科で、幼虫は実を食べて育つ。

［白水　隆］

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