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Northern Marble - Euchloe creusa
State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
If presence is confirmed in the state, species will likely be added to the SOC list due to limited range and habitat.
General Description
[From Scott 1986; Opler and Wright 1999; Glassberg 2001; Guppy and Shepard 2001] Forewing about 1.6-2.4 cm. Uppersurface white, with narrow black bar in forewing cell, black scaling at base of both wings and along veins at forewing tip; undersurface of forewing with greenish marbling and yellow tracing veins at wing tip, thin bar in forewing cell, hindwing with extensive green marbling highly fractured with white producing a banded effect, veins traced in yellow.
Phenology
One flight, mostly June to mid-July (Scott 1986). June and July (Glassberg 2001). Mid-May to late July, rarely to early August (Opler 1968; Opler and Wright 1999).
Diagnostic Characteristics
Best determined by a combination of white uppersurface with thin black bar in forewing cell, undersurface of hindwing with extensive green marbling highly fractured with white producing a banded effect, veins traced in yellow.
Species Range
Montana Range
Range Descriptions
Native
Range Comments
Holarctic. In North America, Alaska, Yukon, western Northwest Territories south to British Columbia, Alberta, and northwestern Saskatchewan (Opler 1968; Opler and Wright 1999, Glassberg 2001; Guppy and Shepard 2001; Back et al. 2011); 1219 m to at least 2134 m elevation in Alberta, 671 m to at least 1463 m elevation in British Columbia, 701 m to at least 1069 m elevation in the Yukon Territory (Opler 1968). In Montana, reported once, from northwest of Babb (Glacier County) on 7 June 1987 (Kohler 1980, personal communication; Ferris and Brown 1981; Stanford and Opler 1993). Rare (Glassberg 2001).
Species is likely to occur in Montana as it has been observed in British Columbia in proximity to the Montana border. However, this species has yet to be observed within the state.
Migration
Non-migratory.
Habitat
Alpine and arctic tundra, subalpine forest, coniferous forest openings, moraine talus, river flats (Opler 1968; Scott 1986; Opler and Wright 1999; Glassberg 2001; Guppy and Shepard 2001). Habitat in Montana not described but probably similar.
Food Habits
Limited information. Larval food plants include the mustards Arabis glabra and Draba cana (Opler 1974; Scott 1986; Guppy and Shepard 2001). Adults probably feed on flower nectar, but behavior and flower species not reported.
Reproductive Characteristics
Limited information. Females lay eggs singly on host plant flower buds (Opler 1974; Scott 1986). Presumably larvae eat flowers and fruits; likely hibernate on host plant as pupae after developing to L5 instar, as do other Euchloe species (Opler 1968; Scott 1979; James and Nunnallee 2011). Males probably patrol throughout the day over some topographic feature in search of females, similar to other Euchloe species (Scott 1975; James and Nunnallee 2011).
Management
G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management needs: Prevent removal of caterpillar host plants from public lands. Limit collection by permits.
Stewardship Responsibility
References
- Literature Cited AboveLegend:
View Online Publication- Back, W., M.A. Miller, and P.A. Opler. 2011. Genetic, phenetic, and distributional relationships of Nearctic Euchloe (Pieridae, Pierinae, Anthocharidini). Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 65(1): 1-14.
Ferris, C.D. and F.M. Brown (eds). 1981. Butterflies of the Rocky Mountains. Univ. of Oklahoma Press. Norman. 442 pp.- Glassberg, J. 2001. Butterflies through Binoculars: A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Western North America. Oxford University Press.
- Guppy, C.S. and J.H. Shepard. 2001. Butterflies of British Columbia: including western Alberta, southern Yukon, the Alaska Panhandle, Washington, northern Oregon, northern Idaho, northwestern Montana. UBC Press (Vancouver, BC) and Royal British Columbia Museum (Victoria, BC). 414 pp.
- James, D.G. and D. Nunnallee. 2011. Life histories of Cascadia butterflies. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press. 447 p.
- Kohler, S. 1980. Checklist of Montana Butterflies (Rhopalocera). Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 34(1): 1-19.
- Kohler, Steve. Personal communication regarding records of Euchloe creusa in Montana. 31 January 2017.
- Opler, P.A. 1968. Studies of Nearctic Euchloe. Part 5. Distribution. Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 7(2): 65-86.
- Opler, P.A. 1974. Studies of Nearctic Euchloe. Part 7. Comparative life histories, hosts, and the morphology of immature stages. Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 13: 1-20.
- Opler, P.A. and A.B. Wright. 1999. A field guide to western butterflies. Second edition. Peterson Field Guides. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, Massachusetts. 540 pp.
- Scott, J.A. 1975b. Mate-locating behavior of western North American butterflies. Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 14:1-40.
- Scott, J.A. 1979. Hibernal diapause of North American Papilionoidea and Hesperioidea. Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 18(3): 171-200.
- Scott, J.A. 1986. The butterflies of North America: a natural history and field guide. Stanford University Press, Stanford, California.
- Stanford, R.E. and P.A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of western USA butterflies: including adjacent parts of Canada and Mexico. Unpubl. Report. Denver and Fort Collins, Colorado 275 pp.
- Additional ReferencesLegend: View Online Publication
Do you know of a citation we're missing?- Allen, T.J., J.P. Brock, and J. Glassberg. 2005. Caterpillars in the field and garden: a field guide to the butterfly caterpillars of North America. Oxford University Press.
- Brock, J.P. and K. Kaufman. 2003. Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America. Houghton Mifflin Company, New York, NY 284 pp.
- Layberry, R.A., P.W. Hall, and J.D. LaFontaine. 1998. The Butterflies of Canada. University of Toronto Press. 280 pp. + color plates.
- Web Search Engines for Articles on "Northern Marble"
- Additional Sources of Information Related to "Insects"
