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Photo#400531
Checkered White, Pontia protodice - Pontia protodice - female

Checkered White, Pontia protodice - Pontia protodice - Female
Spring, Montgomery County, Texas, USA
May 25, 2010
Size: a little over 1 inch
I'm just a beginner. My closest guess is a pontia occidentalis.

The two are very similar,
and obviously very closely related. Some individuals are almost impossible to identify. However, through most of the warmer part of the year, P. protodice is paler, and is more likely to have dark markings cloudy and somewhat brownish or yellowish as apposed to crisp and rich blackish, gray, or even greenish. Small dark cool season individuals can be more alike, but still the visual differences tend to hold up fairly well.

Nearly everywhere east of the Rockies though, it's not a problem, because there is only P. protodice.

checkered white
Thank you. It just didn't seem like those posted. Got it renamed, and thanks again.

There was what might be called
an outbreak of these in parts of Texas and Oklahoma recently. I drove From Pecos to Sweetwater, and north to Shamrock and then Amarillo in Texas a couple of weekends ago, and these were everywhere. They were even coming to the lights in town at night - not just a few, but lots.

Oh, and this one is a female.

Not bad guess, based on appearance.
However, unlikely based on distribution (range). Butterflies through Binoculars the West doesn't show that species in Texas, nor does butterfliesandmoths.org

Click on the link above for a list of butterflies in your county. The book I've cited is also recommended.

Hope to be seeing more of your finds here. BTW, this is a Checkered White, Pontia protodice.

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