Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 05.viii.2023

Anthocharis gruneri / Gruner's Orange Tip
Aurora e Grunerit
Pieridae - Pierinae

Anthocharis gruneri Herrich-Schäffer, 1851. TL: Amasia.

1a. Anthocharis gruneri, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Anthocharis gruneri ♂ upperside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Habitat of Anthocharis gruneri. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Anthocharis gruneri ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Anthocharis gruneri ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)

Description
♂♂
Small butterfly. Fw: 15-18 mm.
Ups: light yellow gc.
Upf: small black spot in orange apical area, apex and marginal border grey, fringes grey-chequered.
Unf: poorly mottled yellow-grey apex.
Unh: yellow with greenish-grey markings, resembling those of A. cardamines.
♀♀
Upf: white gc, large grey discal spot, wide apical border, fringes grey-chequered.
Unh: similar as ♂♂.

Similar species

Anthocharis cardamines Size: similar size or slightly larger. Upf: proximal, not dusted orange tip. Uph: ♂ white gc, ♀ white gc. Unf: ♀ black discal spot not reaching costa. Unh: greenish gc. Unh: mosaic of small white spots. Anthocharis damone Size: slightly smaller or similar size. Upf: proximal black dusted orange tip. Uph: ♂ bright yellow gc, ♀ pale yellowish gc. Unf: black discal spot not reaching costa. Unh: yellow gc. Euchloe ausonia Upf: bigger discal spot with white marking inside. Unf: bigger discal spot with white marking inside.

Euchloe ausonia Upf: dicontinuous white sm markings, 1 large. Upf: full black discal spot. Upf + unf: straight outer margin. Unf: black discoidal spot near costa. Unh: contrasting olive green gc. Unh: white, round marginal markings. Pontia edusa Upf: continuous small white sm markings. Upf: white line in discal spot. Upf + unf: rounded outer margin. Unf: black discoidal spot reaching the costa. Unh: pale olive green gc. Unh: elongated white marginal markings.

Life cycle
Adults: single generation from March to June.
Egg: short stage.
Caterpillar: feeding in spring.
Pupa: overwintering, long pupal stage.

Habitat
Anthocharis gruneri inhabits open, hot and dry stony slopes surrounded by bushes and shrub up to 1600 m.
Spatial requirment small, population density can be high, nomadic.

Foodplants
Caterpillar feeds on Aethionema saxatile.
Butterflies feed on a diversity of flowers.

Distribution
Albania: very locoal (more research needed)
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU
Asia Minor, Near East, Transcaucasia, Caucasus and further east.

Conservation status
Anthocharis gruneri is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: NT.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.

Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps

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