Great orange tip butterfly

This butterfly belongs to the family Pieridae of the order Lepidoptera of the class Insecta. In Japan, it is found in the Osumi Peninsula at the southern tip of Kyushu, the central and southern parts of the Satsuma Peninsula, and the Nansei Islands, and is not particularly rare in the Nansei Islands. Outside of Japan, it is found in a wide range of South Asia, from Sri Lanka in the west to India and the Maluku Islands in the east. Its wingspan is about 90 to 100 mm. It is the largest species of Pieridae found in Japan, and has beautiful orange-red markings on the front half of its forewings. It repeats several times from spring to autumn, but the first generation of spring butterflies is slightly smaller than those that emerge later, and their forewings are sharp. It flies fast and high, so it is difficult to catch them except those that visit flowers. The larvae feed on the bellflower of the Capparaceae family. It can also be raised on Brassicaceae plants. It overwinter in the pupal or larval state.

[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。日本では九州南端の大隅(おおすみ)半島、薩摩(さつま)半島の中・南部以南から南西諸島にわたって分布し、南西諸島ではとくに珍しいものではない。国外では西はスリランカ、インドから東はモルッカ諸島にかけて南アジアにその分布は広い。はねの開張90～100ミリメートル程度。日本産のシロチョウ科では最大の種で、前ばねの表の先半には橙赤(とうせき)色の斑紋(はんもん)があり美しい。春から秋にかけて数回の発生を繰り返すが、第一化の春のチョウは以後発生のものよりやや小形で、前ばねがとがる。飛び方は速く、また高く飛ぶので、花を訪れるもののほかは捕まえにくい。幼虫の食草はフウチョウソウ科のギョボク。アブラナ科植物でも飼育可能。蛹態(ようたい)または幼虫態で冬を越す。

［白水　隆］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例