The Madeiran large white (''Pieris brassicae wollastoni'') is a

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

of the

large white ''Pieris brassicae'', the large white, also called cabbage butterfly, cabbage white, cabbage moth (erroneously), or in India the large cabbage white, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is a close relative of the small white, ''Pieris ra ...

butterfly,

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

Madeira ) , anthem = ( en, "Anthem of the Autonomous Region of Madeira") , song_type = Regional anthem , image_map=EU-Portugal_with_Madeira_circled.svg , map_alt=Location of Madeira , map_caption=Location of Madeira , subdivision_type=Sovereign st ...

. It was described by the English entomologist, Arthur Gardiner Butler in 1886.

Description

It can reach a size of 55 to 65 millimetres. The wings are pure white with a wide black tip on the apexes of the forewings. Its natural

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

is the

laurisilva Laurel forest, also called laurisilva or laurissilva, is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures. The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and el ...

laurel forest Laurel forest, also called laurisilva or laurissilva, is a type of subtropical forest found in areas with high humidity and relatively stable, mild temperatures. The forest is characterized by broadleaf tree species with evergreen, glossy and elo ...

. Larvae have yellow stripes on the upper part of the green body and has black lumps. Known food plants are nasturtium (''

Tropaeolum majus ''Tropaeolum majus'', the garden nasturtium, nasturtium, Indian cress or monks cress, is a species of flowering plant in the family Tropaeolaceae, originating in the Andes from Bolivia north to Colombia. An easily-grown annual or short-lived pere ...

'') and cabbage (''

Brassica oleracea ''Brassica oleracea'' is a plant species from family Brassicaceae that includes many common cultivars used as vegetables, such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, Brussels sprouts, collard greens, Savoy cabbage, kohlrabi, and gai lan. Its ...

'').

Decline

Considering that the butterfly was last collected in 1977, and not found since despite a 15-year survey during the 1980s and 1990s, it might be either extremely rare or possibly extinct. The disappearance of this species coincides with the introduction, in the 1950s, of the small white butterfly (''Pieris rapae''). The mechanisms involved are not fully understood but a viral infection may be involved with the small white introducing a different strain of the

granulosis virus ''Betabaculovirus'' is a genus of viruses, in the family ''Baculoviridae''. Arthropods serve as natural hosts. There are 26 species in this genus. Taxonomy The following species are assigned to the genus: * '' Adoxophyes orana granulovirus'' * ...

, for which the Madeiran large white had no resistance. Another reason may be the introduction of a widely introduced agricultural bioagent, the wasp parasitoid, '' Cotesia glomerata'', which was found in the western

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

in May 2006. It uses the

Pieridae The Pieridae are a large family of butterflies with about 76 genera containing about 1,100 species, mostly from tropical Africa and tropical Asia with some varieties in the more northern regions of North America and Eurasia.DeVries P. J. in Levi ...

as a host and is commonly found where Pieridae species are in abundance.

Distribution

Endemic to Madeira and found in the northern valleys of the laurel forest.

Etymology

The scientific name commemorates Thomas Vernon Wollaston, an English

entomologist Entomology () is the scientific study of insects, a branch of zoology. In the past the term "insect" was less specific, and historically the definition of entomology would also include the study of animals in other arthropod groups, such as arach ...

who has discovered several insect taxa on Madeira. Pieris brassicae wollastoni Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum

References

External links