Butterflies of Zihuatanejo

SUPERFAMILY PAPILIONOIDEA

-Subtribe Pierina

-Great Southern White (Ascia monuste)

-Ascia monuste ssp. monuste

Males are whitish with black forewing apex, females are white or smoky gray with a black forewing cell spot. The caterpillar features a mottled gray body with five orange/yellow longitudinal bands. Antennae have blue tips. Adult Food: Nectar from many species of flowers including saltwort, lantana, and verbena. Habitat: Salt marshes, coastal dunes, open fields, and gardens.

Diet

Adults: Feed on nectar from a wide variety of flowers, including Lantana, Verbena and other nectar-producing plants.
Caterpillars: Feed primarily on plants in the mustard family (Brassicaceae) and caper family (Capparaceae).

Range

Ascia monuste is one of the more widespread tropical pierids, occurring from the southern United States through Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean to northern and southern South America.
Around Zihua, Ascia monuste would likely be considered common to locally abundant, particularly in open coastal areas, gardens, agricultural land and disturbed vegetation.

Habitat

Particularly characteristic of open and sunny habitats, including coastal dunes, salt marshes, fields, gardens, pastures and forest edges.
Around Zihua it should be especially easy to find in coastal vegetation, vacant lots, gardens, agricultural areas and roadsides, where flowering plants and its larval hosts occur.

Size