Florida White
Appias drusilla (Cramer, 1777)
Family: Pieridae
Subfamily: Pierinae
Identification: Male is solid white on both upper and lower surfaces of wings except for a narrow edging of black along the forewing costal margin. Female has 2 forms: the dry-season form is all white; the wet season form has black along the forewing costal margin and a yellow-orange upper hindwing.
Wing Span: 2 1/8 - 3 inches (5.3 - 7.7 cm).
Life History: Males patrol with erratic flight, searching for females. Females lay single eggs at tips of developing host plant leaves. Caterpillars are shade-loving and feed during the night and on cloudy days.
Flight: Dry-season form from October-April, wet-season form from May-September.
Caterpillar Hosts: Various plants in the family Putranjivaceae and family Brassicaceae, including Guiana plum (Drypetes lateriflora) and Limber Caper or Bayleaf Capertree (Capparis flexuosa) in Florida.
Adult Food: Flower nectar from a variety of weeds and garden plants including lantana and eupatorium.
Habitat: Tropical lowland evergreen or semideciduous forests.
Range: Tropical America from Brazil north to southern peninsular Florida and the Keys; Antilles. Frequently visits coastal Texas, rare stray to Nebraska and Colorado.
Conservation: Preserve hardwood hammock habitat in southern Florida.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: Avoid mosquito fogging near this butterfly\'s habitat.
Comments: Edited food plants as per John Calhoun email (9/2009).
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 113 verified sightings
Observation date: May 14, 2025
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: May 19, 2025
Observation date: Apr 19, 2025
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Apr 21, 2025
Observation date: Nov 21, 2024
Submitted by: Nick Elf
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Feb 21, 2025
Observation date: Nov 27, 2024
Submitted by: Robert Gorman
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Dec 02, 2024
Observation date: Nov 02, 2024
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 04, 2024
Observation date: Sep 09, 2024
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Sep 19, 2024
Observation date: Jul 23, 2023
Submitted by: dvollmar
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 17, 2024
Observation date: Jan 06, 2005
Submitted by: Charlie Doggett
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Feb 29, 2024
Observation date: Jan 27, 2024
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Tabasco, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jan 30, 2024
Observation date: Dec 01, 2022
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Nayarit, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Mar 03, 2023
Observation date: May 07, 2021
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Quintana Roo, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Feb 12, 2023
Observation date: Jan 04, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 04, 2023
Observation date: Dec 02, 2022
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 02, 2022
Observation date: Dec 06, 2017
Submitted by: bobscafe
Region: Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Oct 26, 2022
Observation date: Jul 03, 2017
Submitted by: Steven Koevoet
Region: Quintana Roo, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 24, 2022
Observation date: Feb 13, 2014
Submitted by: janazak
Region: Quintana Roo, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 15, 2022
Observation date: Feb 15, 2014
Submitted by: janazak
Region: Quintana Roo, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 15, 2022
Observation date: Jul 15, 2017
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Chiapas, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 11, 2022
Observation date: Aug 30, 2021
Submitted by: Janeal W. Thompson
Region: Prowers County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Nov 06, 2021
Observation date: Aug 11, 2018
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 29, 2021
Observation date: Jul 29, 2021
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 05, 2021
Observation date: Jul 29, 2021
Submitted by: Rob Wu
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 01, 2021
Observation date: Nov 15, 2020
Submitted by: sherylsr
Region: Blanco County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Dec 09, 2020
Observation date: Nov 24, 2020
Submitted by: cklindsey
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 30, 2020
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