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 49 - 72 of 115 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 15, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler)
Region: San Luis Potosi, Mexico
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Mike Overton)
Verified date: Nov 05, 2007
Observation date: Oct 15, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler)
Region: Tamaulipas, Mexico
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Mike Overton)
Verified date: Nov 05, 2007
Observation date: Oct 16, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Mike Overton, Paul Opler)
Region: Tamaulipas, Mexico
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Mike Overton)
Verified date: Nov 05, 2007
Observation date: Apr 13, 2003
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (Rick Fleischer& Dale Clark)
Region: Texas, Wise County, United States
Verified by: nick.grishin (Nick Grishin)
Verified date: Apr 02, 2007
Observation date: Apr 23, 1992
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Jackson County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Heitzman, J.R. 1992)
Verified date: Mar 12, 2007
Observation date: Sep 26, 2006
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Jalisco, Mexico
Verified by: legacy.verifier (Unknown)
Verified date: Jan 31, 2007
Observation date: Jul 18, 2004
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (North American Butterfly Association (NABA) of South Texas))
Region: Cameron County, Texas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (North American Butterfly Association (NABA) of South Texas))
Verified date: Jan 29, 2007
Observation date: Oct 28, 2004
Submitted by: legacy.reporter (North American Butterfly Association (NABA) of South Texas))
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier (North American Butterfly Association (NABA) of South Texas))
Verified date: Jan 29, 2007
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Nemaha County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Park County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Sugarloaf Key County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Sinaloa, Mexico
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Erie County, New York, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Washington County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Brewster County, Texas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Eliott Key County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Plantation Key County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Chihuahua, Mexico
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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