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Whites and Yellows - FAMILY PIERIDAE
- This page contains information and pictures about Whites and Yellows butterflies FAMILY PIERIDAE in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Most of the butterflies in this family are small to medium in size. They are mainly white or yellow with black edges on wings. Some have red and yellow patterns beneath their wings. They don't have tails on hindwings. Males and females may look a little bit different. Females usually a bit darker with boarder black wing-edges.
- Their flight is rapid and usually fly erratically amongst plants. Some species have the habit of mass migration, which usually usually from north to south with hundreds of thousands pf butterflies. Why these movements occur has yet to be explained.
- Pupa
- Their caterpillars are worm-like, slightly hairy, usually green or reddish brown in colours. They are usually well camouflaged. Their pupae are sometimes spiny and pointed in both ends. They are attached to stems or flat surfaces.
- The family PIERIDAE includes four subfamilies. Two occur in Australia, COLIADINAE and PIERINAE.
Subfamily COLIADINAE - Migrants and Grass-yellows
- Butterflies in this subfamily COLIADINAE are usually yellow in colour, with black patterns on wings.
Subfamily PIERINAE - Whites and Jezabels
Butterflies in this subfamily PIERINAE are usually white in colour, with black patterns on wings. In some species there are yellow and/or red patterns on the hind-wings bottom sides.
