265. Appias lalage lalage (The Spot Puffin)

Number: 265

Family: Pieriidae
Sub-Family: Pieriinae

Species: Appias lalage lalage (Doubleday, 1842)
Common name(s):  The Spot Puffin

Photography location: Ba Vi N.P. (Hanoi)

The genus Appias is represented in Vietnam by 9 species (and 11 taxa) - lyncida, olferna, galba, albina, paulina, indra, pandione, lalassis and lalage (Monastyrskii & Devyatkin, 2016).

A. lalage ranges from N.India to Myanmar, N.Thailand, Laos, S.China, Vietnam (N., C. & S.). This is my 5th Appias species spotted in Vietnam.

Appias lalage, male, sipping nectar from Bidens alba flower (Ba Vi, 500m asl, April 2017)

247. Pieris erutae montana (The Green-veined White s.l.)

Number: 247

Family: Pieriidae
Sub-Family: Pieriinae

Species: Pieris erutae montana Verity, 1908
Common name(s): The Green-veined White (sensu lato, no particular name?)

Photography location: Ô Quy Hô pass (Tam Đường District, Lai Chau Prov.)

According to Monastyrskii & Devyatkin (2016), 4 Pieris species are known to occur in Vietnam viz. P. canidia canidia, P. rapae orientalis, P. erutae montana & P. brassicae nepalensis - the latter only recorded in the extreme northern corner of the country (Hoang Lien Son Mountain Range), the other three more widespread (but unrecorded from the South).

Poujade (1888) described P. erutae from Tibet. The subsp. montana was described by Verity from N.-E.India (Sikkim). This taxon is also present in Myanmar, N.Thailand, Laos, N. & C. Vietnam, S.China. It is very similar to Pieris melete which ranges from northern India, China (Tibet, Yunnan...) to Korea and Japan, and certain races of P. napi (widespread across Europe and Asia as far as Japan, but doesn't occur in the Oriental Region).

Below some photos of P. erutae montana taken at high-altitude vegetable gardens of ethnic minority people, where the caterpillars feed on family Cruciferae like cabbages.

 Male Pieris erutae montana, below Ô Quy Hô pass, 1800m asl (Tam Đường District, Lai Chau Prov., January 2017)
The greeny-grey veins on the underside are, in fact, an illusion created by a subtle combination of yellow and black scales

Male Pieris erutae montana, upperwing

Female Pieris erutae montana, upperwing

237. Eurema andersoni sadanobui (The One-spot Grass Yellow)

Number: 237

Family: Pieriidae
Sub-Family: Pieriinae

Species: Eurema andersoni sadanobui Shirôzu & Yata, 1982

Common name(s): The Anderson's Grass Yellow, The One-spot Grass Yellow

Photography location: Cuc Phuong N.P. (Ninh Binh Prov.), Ba Vi N.P. (Hanoi)

Monastyrskii & Devyatkin (2016) listed 9 Eurema species in Vietnam viz. brigitta, laeta, hecabe, blanda, andersoni, ada, simulatrix, novapallida and sari - the first six recorded in the North.

Eurema andersoni sadanobui is distributed, at least, from Thailand, Cambodia to Vietnam (N., C. and S.) whereas the nominate subspecies is limited to the southern part of Thailand and Burma, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra.
This species appears to prefer semi-open areas and forest margins. It has narrower habitat requirements than E. hecabe or E. blanda, and is not encountered in gardens, wastelands, grasslands or agricultural fields like the latter two species. More often than not, specimens are encountered singly. They often display the peculiar habit of hiding on the underside of a leaf to rest upside down. 

Eurema andersoni can be separated from the other lookalike Eurema by a single large cell spot distinctly 3-shaped on forewing underside.

 Eurema andersoni sadanobui, Cuc Phuong - July 2013
Note hindwing distal margin evenly rounded (angulate at space 3 in E. hecabe)

Eurema andersoni sadanobui, Ba Vi foothills - December 2016
There is usually a dark brown sub-apical patch on the forewing (which can sometimes be very indistinct or even absent)

236. Pieris canidia canidia (The Indian Cabbage White)

Number: 236

Family: Pieriidae
Sub-Family: Pieriinae

Species: Pieris canidia canidia (Linnaeus, 1768)
Common name(s): The Indian Cabbage White 

Photography locations: Tam Dao (Vinh Phuc Prov.), Ba Vi (Hanoi)

There may be as many as 34 species of Pieris worldwide, although the status of some is uncertain. The genus can be divided into 2 groups - the 'Large' Whites brassicae, cheiranthi, deota & tadjika; and the smaller species including rapae, mannii, napi and canidia which have more rounded fore-wings. Some taxonomists place the latter group into a distinct genus Artogeia, citing characteristics including chromosome number, ovipositing behaviour and larval morphology.

According to Monastyrskii & Devyatkin (2016), 4 Pieris species are known to occur in Vietnam viz. P. canidia canidia, P. rapae orientalis, P. erutae montana & P. brassicae nepalensis - the latter only recorded in the extreme northern corner of the country (Lao Cai Prov.), the other three more widespread (but unrecorded from the South).

Pieris canidia ranges from India to Malaysia and north to Japan. I have seen this species from sea level to 2000m (Sa Pa), along corridors of ruderal vegetation in forest, agricultural fields or riverbanks, sometimes side by side with P. rapae or P. erutae.

Pieris canidia canidia on Bidens flower (Tam Dao foothills, March 2016, riverbank)

Female, upperside view (Ba Vi foothills, January 2017, agricultural field)
Female UpF with two black spots (only one in male) 

234. Catopsilia pomona pomona (The Lemon Emigrant)

Number: 234

Family: Pieriidae
Sub-Family: Pieriinae

Species: Catopsilia pomona pomona (Fabricius, 1775)

Common name(s): The Lemon Emigrant, The Common Emigrant

Photography locations: Hanoi, Tam Dao foothills (Vinh Phuc Prov.)

Lemon Emigrant is a large, strong-flying, migratory species exhibiting a marked sexual and seasonal dimorphism. There are two groups of forms, namely the 'crocale' group and the 'pomona' group : 

The 'crocale' group is characterized by having the upperside of antennae black, and the absence of silvery spots at cell-ends on the underside. The male -f alcmeone is mostly white above but yellow in the basal third of the wings and thinly bordered at the forewing apex. The females could appear in the jugurtha or the crocale form. The -f jugurtha is creamy white above with yellow wing base and black border on the forewing costa and termen of both wings. It has a series of black submarginal markings and a black spot at cell-end on the forewing. The -f crocale has a broad black distal border with a series of whitish spots embedded on both wings.  

The 'pomona' group is characterized by having the upperside of antennae red and the presence of red-ringed silvery spots at cell-ends on the underside. The male -f hilaria has similar upperside as the male -f alcmeone but with lesser extent of basal yellow area. The females could appear in the pomona, catilla or the nivescens form. The -f pomona has yellow wings with reduced black border and markings while -f nivescens is similar but with whitish wings. The -f catilla has large reddish patches on the underside.

Catopsilia pomona, male f. hilaria (Tam Dao, September 2015), nectaring on Celosia argentea, a common weed in dry open places such as roadsides and waste lands

Male f. alcmeone (Hanoi, May 2013)

Male f. alcmeone (Hanoi, August 2015)

Male f. alcmeone in hand, to show the upperwings color patern

Female f. crocale (Hanoi, August 2015) nectaring on Bidens flowers

Female f. crocale, upperwings (Hanoi, April 2014)

Female f. jugurtha (Ba Vi, January 2017) on Lantana camara flowers
Note the black spot at cell-end on the forewing

Female f. pomona (Tam Dao foothills, September 2015)

Female f. pomona (Hanoi, July 2015)

Female f. catilla (Hanoi, April 2014)

Streamside aggregation of puddling Catopsilia pomona (Tam Dao foothills, May 2015) with males f. hilaria and f. alcmeone, + 1 Appias lyncida and 1 Appias albina (blurry)

Two puddling males f. alcmeone with Appias lyncida and Cepora nadina

231. Catopsilia pyranthe pyranthe (The Mottled Emigrant)

Number: 231

Family: Pieriidae
Sub-Family: Pieriinae

Species: Catopsilia pyranthe pyranthe (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common name(s): The Mottled Emigrant

Photography location : Hanoi

 Catopsilia pyranthe (female) on Lantana camara - an extremely popular nectar source for a wide variety of butterflies (Hanoi, October 2015)

Beneath, the wings show many rather faint and short transverse striae in reddish brown, giving a "mottled" appearance

215. Pareronia anais anais (The Common Wanderer)

Number: 215

Family: Pieriidae
Sub-Family: Pieriinae

Species: Pareronia anais anais (Lesson, 1837)

Common name(s): The Common Wanderer

Photography location : Da Nang (Quang Nam Prov.)

According to Monastyrskii  & Devyatkin (2016), 3 Pareronia species have been recorded in Vietnam: P. anais anais, P. paravatar, P. avatar.

Male Pareronia anais on Lantana flowers - an extremely popular nectar source for a wide variety of butterflies. Specimen from central Vietnam (March 2016) - I haven't yet encountered this species in my habitual butt hunting grounds in the North 

174. Talbotia naganum (The Dark-banded White)

Number: 174

Family: Pieriidae
Sub-Family: Pieriinae

Species: Talbotia naganum (Moore, 1884)

Common name(s):  The Dark-banded White

Photography location: Tam Dao foothills (Vinh Phuc Prov.)

A mud-puddle party (all males), Tây Thiên (foothills of Tam Dao), 21th May 2016

Male easily recognized by having black apex on UpF which expanding inwards in space 3 to mid-way between termen and the base of vein 3, and with black spots at cell-end and discal area in space 1b; HW unmarked
Female show broad dark bands on FW (hence the english name "Dark-banded White")

Voucher male specimen, upperside

Same specimen, underside

155. Appias indra indra (The Plain Puffin)

Number: 155

Family: Pieriidae
Sub-Family: Pieriinae

Species: Appias indra indra (Moore, [1858])

Common name(s):  The Plain Puffin

Photography locations: Xuân Son N.P. (Phu Tho Prov.), Cuc Phuong (Ninh Binh Prov.)

A male Appias indra (at the bottom right) with Appias albina (Common Albatross), Appias galba (Indian Orange Albatross), Cepora nadina (The Lesser Gull) - Xuan Son, June 2014

Male Appias indra 

 Male Appias indra puddling with some Cepora nerissa (The Common Gull) - Cuc Phuong, May 2016

134. Prioneris philonome clemanthe (The Red-spotted Sawtooth)

Number: 134

Family: Pieriidae
Sub-Family: Pieriinae

Species: Prioneris philonome clemanthe (Doubleday, 1846)

Common name(s): The Red-spotted Sawtooth

Photography location: Tam Dao foothills (Vinh Phuc Prov.)

The genus Prioneris comprises 6 species, all occuring in the Oriental region. Two are recorded in Vietnam - thestylis and philonome. Both are common species throughout the country.

Prioneris philonome is quite similar to Prioneris thestylis but UnH has a small orange-red basal spot and 4/5 of UnH is yellow in male.

 Male Prioneris philonome - yellow is more extensive in female (Tam Dao, June 2016)

Same male specimen, showing its upperwings - female is much darker above

Interesting shot of males Prioneris philonome (top) and Prioneris thestylis (The Spotted Sawtooth) side by side
Other species included Graphium doson (Common Jay), on the right

Mud-puddling males Prioneris philonome

A male Prioneris philonome surrounded by Appias albina

133. Prioneris thestylis thestylis (The Spotted Sawtooth)

Number: 133

Family: Pieriidae
Sub-Family: Pieriinae

Species: Prioneris thestylis thestylis (Doubleday, 1842)

Common name(s): The Spotted Sawtooth

Photography location: Tam Dao foothills (Vinh Phuc Prov.)

Male bears serrate edge at the upper margins of FW where its common name comes from.  UnH of female is much yellow than in the male. All individuals photographed below are males.

The genus Prioneris comprises 6 species, all occuring in the Oriental region. Two are recorded in Vietnam - thestylis and philonome. Both are common species throughout the country. They are found in forested areas, often puddling with other Pierids and Papilionids.

Male Prioneris thestylis

Male Prioneris thestylis showing its white upperwings with black margins that contain white post-cellular spots - female is darker with a broad yellow patch at HW just bellow the cell
Male bears serrate edge at costa of FW where its common english name comes from

Males Prioneris thestylis and Prioneris philonome (Red-spotted Sawtooth - top left) side by side
Other species included Cyrestis thyodamas (Common Map), Graphium doson (Common Jay), Appias lyncida (Chocolate Albatross), Ixias pyrene (Yellow Orange Tip)

Puddle party with males P. thestylis, Catopsila pomona pomona f. catilla (Lemon Emigrant - on the left), Appias albina (Common Albatross - foreground)

Congregation of males drinking water on rocks along a stream

Male drinking moisture from wet sand at a stream bank 

126. Leptosia nina nina (The Psyche)

Number: 126

Family: Pieriidae
Sub-Family: Pieriinae

Species: Leptosia nina nina (Fabricius, 1793)

Common name(s): The Psyche, The Wandering Psyche, The Wandering Snowflake

Photography location: Cuc Phuong N.P. (Ninh Binh Prov.)

The genus Leptosia comprises 9 species, all found in Africa, except for L. lignea which is endemic to Sulawesi and L. nina which ranges from India to Australia.

Until now, I only saw Leptosia nina one time, at Cuc Phuong N.P., but I miserably failed to get any decent shots. So I have nothing to show here but a voucher specimen below, sorry for that.
 

85. Pieris rapae orientalis (The Small Cabbage White)

Number: 85

Family: Pieriidae
Sub-Family: Pieriinae

Species: Pieris rapae orientalis Oberthür, 1880

Common name(s): The Small Cabbage White

Photography location : Hanoi

There may be as many as 34 species of Pieris worldwide, although the status of some is uncertain. The commonest and most widespread species is rapae, which was originally restricted to Europe and temperate Asia but has been introduced accidentally to North America, Africa, South-East Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
The caterpillar of this species is seen as a pest for agriculture.

Often seen flying year round in open glades, field edges, gardens, or along riverbanks. Both sexes visit a wide range of herbaceous flowers, fluttering from plant to plant and rarely settling for long

Pieris rapae is usually seen near vegetable fields where its caterpillar feed on family Cruciferae like cabbages

Pieris rapae courtship - female perched on the leaf

Male and female have both two discal spots on forewings (UpF). In Large Cabbage White (P. brassicae), male UpF without spots. In Indian Cabbage White (Pieris canidia), the hindwings border of both sexes have marginal black spots.

Matting pair - with a third individual (male) in flight