Belenois creona, the African common white or African caper, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found in the Afrotropical realm.

African common white
Female in wet season
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pieridae
Genus: Belenois
Species:
B. creona
Binomial name
Belenois creona
(Cramer, 1776)
Subspecies

See text

Synonyms
  • Papilio creona Cramer, [1776]
  • Anaphaeis creona
  • Papilio cneora Fabricius, 1793
  • Colias ernestius Laporte, 1831
  • Pieris creona ab. caeca Cannaviello, 1900
  • Pieris severina ab. sigirrensis Strand, 1909
  • Anapheis creona ab. houzeaui Dufrane, 1947
  • Glycestha creona r. benadirensis Storace, 1948
  • Pieris boguensis Felder & Felder, 1865
  • Pieris creona f. mixta Ungemach, 1932
  • Pieris elisa van Vollenhoven, 1869
  • Belenois johannae Butler, 1879
  • Belenois leucogyne Butler, 1885
  • Anapheis creona prorsus Talbot, 1943
  • Belenois creona prorsus f. antonii Bernardi, 1951
  • Papilio severina Stoll, 1781
  • Pieris agrippina Felder and Felder, 1865
  • Belenois infida Butler, 1888
  • Pieris severina ab. msamwiana Strand, 1911
  • Pieris guarani Köhler, 1923
  • Pieris severina f. acutapex Hulstaert, 1924
  • Pieris severina f. burgeoni Hulstaert, 1924
  • Pieris severina f. obscurissima Hulstaert, 1924
  • Pieris creona f. subalba Hulstaert, 1924
  • Anapheis creona ab. demaneti Dufrane, 1947
  • Anapheis creona ab. evrardi Dufrane, 1947
  • Anapheis creona ab. gnoma Dufrane, 1947
  • Anapheis creona f. mombasica Stoneham, 1957
  • Anapheis creona f. creonoides Stoneham, 1957
  • Anapheis creona f. creontica Stoneham, 1957
  • Anapheis creona f. nigerrima Stoneham, 1957
  • Anapheis creona f. jocasta Stoneham, 1957
  • Anapheis creona f. megara Stoneham, 1957

Description

edit
 
 
B. c. severina, Tanzania

The wingspan is 40–45 mm. The sexes are dimorphic.

Males

edit

Uppersides are white with black or brown marginal borders and veins in forewing apex. There is a black spot in the upperside cell, instead of a bar as in the brown-veined white (B. aurota).

Females

edit

Females have broader dark upperside borders on both wings. Underwings are yellow during the wet season.[1]

Ecology

edit

The larvae feed on Capparis and Maerua species.

Subspecies

edit

The following subspecies are recognised:[2]

References

edit
  1. ^ Woodhall, Steve (2005). Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa. Cape Town, South Africa: Struik. ISBN 978-1-86872-724-7.
  2. ^ Belenois at Markku Savela's Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms
edit