Ganyra josephina

Giant white
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pieridae
Genus: Ganyra
Species:
G. josephina
Binomial name
Ganyra josephina
(Godart, [1819])[1]
Synonyms
  • Pieris josephina Godart, [1819]
  • Tachyris amaryllis
  • Ascia josephina
  • Papilio amaryllis Fabricius, 1793 (preocc. Stoll, 1782)
  • Pieris josepha Salvin & Godman, 1868
  • Pieris amaryllis josepha f. gervasia Fruhstorfer, 1907
  • Pieris amaryllis protasia Fruhstorfer, 1907
  • Ascia paramaryllis

Ganyra josephina, the giant white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae.

Subspecies

The following subspecies are recognized:[1]

  • G. j. josephina - nominate subspecies (Hispaniola; Dominican Republic, Haiti)
  • G. j. josepha (Salvin & Godman, 1868) (southern Texas, Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua)
  • G. j. krugii (Dewitz, 1877) (Puerto Rico, Mona Island)
  • G. j. janeta (Dixey, 1915) (Venezuela , Trinidad)
  • G. j. paramaryllis (Comstock, 1943) (Jamaica)

The former subspecies Ganyra josephina menciae, the Cuban white, has been separated as its own species, Ganyra menciae.[2]

Distribution and habitat

It is found from southern Texas through Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America to northern South America. The habitat consists of open, dry, subtropical forests.[3]

Description

The wingspan is 73–96 mm (2.9–3.8 in). Adults are on wing from September to December in southern Texas. They feed on flower nectar from a variety of weeds and garden plants including Lantana, Eupatorium and Bougainvillea.[3]

The larvae feed on older leaves of Capparidaceae species.[3]

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ganyra josephina.
Wikispecies has information related to Ganyra josephina.
  1. ^ a b Ganyra, Site of Markku Savela
  2. ^ "Cuban White Ganyra menciae (Ramsden, [1914]) | Butterflies and Moths of North America". www.butterfliesandmoths.org. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  3. ^ a b c Butterflies and Moths of North America


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