The Pieridae are a large family of butterflies with about 76 genera containing about 1,100 species, mostly from tropical Africa and tropical Asia with some varieties in the more northern regions of North America and Eurasia. Most pierid butterflies are white, yellow, or orange in coloration, often with black spots. The pigments that give the distinct coloring to these butterflies are derived from waste products in the body and are a characteristic of this family. The family was created by William John Swainson in 1820.
Pieridae
Common Jezebel (Delias eucharis)
Eastern greenish black-tip (Euchloe penia)
Pieris brassicae, large white or cabbage white
Gonepteryx rhamni, commonly named the common brimstone, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae. It lives throughout the Palearctic zone and is commonly found across Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Across much of its range, it is the only species of its genus, and is therefore simply known locally as the brimstone. Its wing span size is 60–74 mm (2.4–2.9 in). It should not be confused with the brimstone moth Opisthograptis luteolata.
Image: Common brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni) male in flight
Image: Common brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni) male
The common buckthorn, one of the larval host plants.
Mating pair (left: male; right: female)
