Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

  Sighting 1158037

Large Marble
Euchloe ausonides

Observation date: May 17, 2018
Submitted by: A_baldini
Specimen type: Photograph
Observation notes: Time: 2:30 p.m. Temperature: 83 degrees. Wind speed: 7.67 mph. Sky: Partly cloudy. Notes: I caught this Large Marble a couple minutes after completing a Pollard Walk survey of the pathway behind my house. I just thought it was a Cabbage White as it flew by, and the only reason I caught it was for practice. It was flying near an isolated grove of Hoary Cress (Lepidium draba), which I know serves as the local host plant of the Cabbage White, and probably this species as well. I certainly didn’t expect to see one of these in an urban area!
Status: Resident
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: June 26, 2018
Coordinator notes: Your ID is correct and as you noted it is unusual to see a butterfly normally only found in the foothills and mountains. You live fairly close to the native habitat and sometimes the wind blows them down and into the urban area or they may follow a stream out of the native habitat and end up elsewhere. Oh yes, in another ID you submitted you mentioned seeing the Two-tailed Tiger Swallowtail in early May and thought that was early. This is not too unusual and you don't see very many, maybe only the one. There is one that emerges very early in the season you might see in the lower foothills in Larimer County. It is the Two-tailed only it is miniature, quite small by comparison to the late spring and summer emerging ones. This is form minimulticaudata (the bigger ones later on are mostly form pusillus). It comes out in early spring, April-May. Though they are not common and you don't see them every year, keep and eye out for one in a canyon area where it is warm and has some permanent water. Mike
Checklist region(s): Larimer County, United States, Colorado