Diet

• Caterpillars: Feed on woody plants in the caper family (Capparaceae).

• Females place eggs singly on older leaves of the host plant, rather than in clusters.

• Adults: Take nectar from a variety of flowers, including Lantana, Eupatorium, and Bougainvillea.

Range

• The Giant White ranges from southern Texas south through Mexico and Central America to Panama, with additional populations in the Caribbean and northern South America. The Mexican form is generally treated as G. j. josepha.

• It is found in the Zihua area, particularly where dry tropical woodland and its Capparaceae host plants occur.

Habitat

• Typically inhabits open, dry subtropical and tropical forest, woodland edges, scrub, agricultural areas, and other sunny environments.

• In central Mexico it can occur in agricultural landscapes as well as more natural woodland, particularly where suitable flowering plants and host trees are present.

Description

• A large white butterfly, with a wingspan of approximately 73–96 mm.

• The upper surface is predominantly white, with the veins becoming distinctly outlined in black toward the wing margins.

• The male has a prominent round black spot in the forewing cell, one of the most useful field marks for identifying the species.

• Females are more variable. During the wetter season they may have the forewing cell spot together with diffuse black postmedian markings, while dry-season females can be considerably paler and less heavily marked.

• The underside is generally white to creamy white with subdued grayish or brownish markings.

• Its combination of large size, predominantly white wings, black-veined margins, and relatively sparse markings distinguishes it from many of the smaller white pierids occurring in the same habitats.