male Checkered White

Class: Hexapoda (animals with six legs - includes all insects)
    lepido = scale and ptera = wings (singular is pteron)
    The wings are covered with small scales.
Order: Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths)
Family: Pieridae (whites and sulphurs)
Subfamily: Pierinae (whites)
Species: Pontia protodice
Common Name: Checkered White
Date: 2001 July 02
Place: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
    Devil's Hall Trail

The white wings of the female are much more heavily marked with gray-black than the wings of the male shown here. Checkered Whites were quite common in June in the lowland areas. One related butterfly you may be more familiar with, the Cabbage White often seen around vegetable gardens, was introduced into North America from Europe in the 1800's.

Links

Note: This is a personal web site and is not affiliated with the National Park Service or Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Contact information for the author, Ron Lyons, is accessible through the Index Page referenced below. Thank you.