Bath White (Pontia daplidice)
Bath White (Pontia daplidice)
Bath White (Pontia daplidice)
Bath White (Pontia daplidice)
Bath White (Pontia daplidice)
Bath White (Pontia daplidice)

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Bath White (Pontia daplidice)


Photo © Peter Eeles
FamilyPieridae
SubfamilyPierinae
GenusPontia
Speciesdaplidice
Authority(Linnaeus, 1758)
English NameBath 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 Bath White complex has been split into two species in the 1980s, P. daplidice (LINNAEUS, 1758), which mainly occurs in the Western Mediterranean, and P. edusa (FABRICIUS, 1777), which is distributed over the rest of Europe. However, these two species cannot be distinguished in the field. Their life cycles are also very similar. The adult butterflies are very mobile, fast flying and migrate northwards and westwards in warm years. They occur in warm, stony places; often disturbed ground, such as road verges, abandoned agricultural land or quarries. The females lay their eggs on such crucifers as mustards (Sinapis spp.), Alyssum spp., and also on mignonettes (Reseda spp.). The caterpillars feed mainly on the flowers and seeds. Pupation takes place on the stalk of the foodplant. These species have two or more broods a year and hibernate as pupae.

Distribution

Andorra / Cyprus / France / France: Mainland / France: Corsica / Italy / Italy: Mainland / Italy: Sardinia / Luxembourg (Regionally Extinct) / Netherlands (Irregular Vagrant) / Portugal / Portugal: Mainland / Spain / Spain: Mainland / Spain: Canary Islands / Spain: Balearic Islands / Spain: Sp. North African Territories / United Kingdom (Irregular Vagrant) / United Kingdom: Great Britain (Irregular Vagrant) / United Kingdom: Jersey (Regionally Extinct) / United Kingdom: Gibraltar /

Larval Foodplants

#OrderFamilyGenusSpeciesVernacular NameLink
1BrassicalesBrassicaceaeArabishirsutaHairy Rock-cress
2BrassicalesBrassicaceaeBiscutellalyrata
3BrassicalesBrassicaceaeCakilemaritimaSea Rocket
4BrassicalesBrassicaceaeCardaminehirsutaHairy Bitter-cress
5BrassicalesBrassicaceaeDescurainiasophiaFlixweed
6BrassicalesBrassicaceaeDiplotaxiserucoidesWhite Rocket
7BrassicalesBrassicaceaeDiplotaxistenuifoliaPerennial Wall-rocket
8BrassicalesBrassicaceaeErucavesicariaGarden Rocket
9BrassicalesBrassicaceaeErucastrumgallicumHairy Rocket
10BrassicalesBrassicaceaeIberiscontracta ssp. contracta
11BrassicalesBrassicaceaeLepidiumgraminifoliumTall Pepperwort
12BrassicalesBrassicaceaeMarcus-kochialittorea
13BrassicalesBrassicaceaeNoccaeaperfoliata
14BrassicalesBrassicaceaeRaphanusraphanistrumWild Radish (see ssp.)
15BrassicalesBrassicaceaeRaphanusraphanistrum ssp. landra
16BrassicalesBrassicaceaeRapistrumrugosumBastard Cabbage
17BrassicalesBrassicaceaeSinapisalbaWhite Mustard
18BrassicalesBrassicaceaeSisymbriumofficinaleHedge Mustard
19BrassicalesBrassicaceaeThlaspiarvenseField Penny-cress
20BrassicalesCleomaceaeCleomeiberica
21BrassicalesCleomaceaeCleomeornithopodioides
22BrassicalesResedaceaeResedaMignonettes
23BrassicalesResedaceaeResedaluteaWild Mignonette
24BrassicalesResedaceaeResedaluteolaWeld
25BrassicalesResedaceaeResedaodorataGarden Mignonette
26BrassicalesResedaceaeResedaphyteumaCorn Mignonette
27BrassicalesResedaceaeSesamoidespurpurascens
28BrassicalesResedaceaeSesamoidesspathulifolia