Peak White (Pontia callidice)
Peak White (Pontia callidice)
Peak White (Pontia callidice)
Peak White (Pontia callidice)
Peak White (Pontia callidice)
Peak White (Pontia callidice)

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Peak White (Pontia callidice)


Photo © Kars Veling
FamilyPieridae
SubfamilyPierinae
GenusPontia
Speciescallidice
Authority(Hübner, [1800])
English NamePeak White
European Red List 2010Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 Red List 2010Least Concern (LC)
European Red List 2025Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 Red List 2025Least Concern (LC)
Habitats Directive
Bern Convention
CITES

Description

The Peak White is found high in the mountains in flower-rich grasslands. The eggs are laid singly on Alpine Bittercress (Cardamine bellidifolia ssp. alpina), Hutchinsia alpina, Erysimum helveticum, and Reseda glauca, especially on those growing on open stony patches. The caterpillars mostly eat the lower leaves, and hide under stones when the weather is bad. In the Alps, the Peak White usually has only one generation a year and hibernates as a pupa. However, in good summers or at lower altitudes, a partial second generation is sometimes produced that passes the winter as a caterpillar. In the Spanish Pyrenees, two generations a year are usual, and it hibernates either as a pupa or a caterpillar.

Distribution

Andorra / Austria / Finland (Irregular Vagrant) / France / France: Mainland / Germany / Italy / Italy: Mainland / Liechtenstein / European Russia / Spain / Spain: Mainland / Switzerland /

Larval Foodplants

#OrderFamilyGenusSpeciesVernacular NameLink
1BrassicalesBrassicaceaeArabisalpinaAlpine Rock-cress
2BrassicalesBrassicaceaeArabiscaerulea
3BrassicalesBrassicaceaeCardaminebellidifolia ssp. alpina
4BrassicalesBrassicaceaeCardamineresedifolia
5BrassicalesBrassicaceaeErysimumochroleucum
6BrassicalesBrassicaceaeHornungiaalpina
7BrassicalesBrassicaceaeMurbeckiellapinnatifida