Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 05.viii.2023

Pieris mannii / Southern Small White
Bardhoshja e vogël e jugut
Pieridae - Pierinae

Pieris mannii (Mayer, 1851) TL: Split. Dalmatia.

1a. Pieris mannii, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Pieris mannii ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Pieris mannii ♀ upperside. Belgium (© Jacques Vervaeke)
1d. Pieris mannii ♂ upperside. Belgium (© Jacques Vervaeke)
1e. Pieris mannii ♂ lateral. Skhelzen, Albania (© Lulëzim Shuka)
1f. Pieris mannii ♂ upperside. Belgium (© Jacques Vervaeke)

Description
♂♂
Medium size butterfly. Fw: 20-23 mm (spring generation) or up to 26 mm (summer generation).
Ups: white gc.
Upf: black apical markings extend along the outer margin to v4 and sometimes even to v3, often with darkened veins towards the middle of the wing (spring generation), more extensive markings in summer generation, outer margin of spot in s3 flat or even concave.
Uph: moon-shaped costal spot in s6.
Unh: rather densily dusted with dark scales (more expressed in the spring generation)
♀♀
Upf: wider apical border, two postdiscal spots. More extensively marked in summer generation.
Unh: light to absent dusting.

Similar species

♂♂ Pieris brassicae Size:distinctly larger. Upf: apical border reaching v3 or lower. Upf: extensive black border, pointed apex. Upf: no spot in s3. Unf: apical border reaching v3. Unf: two strong, intense black spots. Unh: powdered with dark scales. Pieris ergane Size:smaller Pieris. Upf: square apical border. Upf: grey apical patch. Upf: poorly marked grey spot in s3. Unf: no black spot in s3. Unh: extensive grey dusting in basal area. Pieris rapae Size:similar to slightly larger Pieris. Upf: apical border reaching v6 or v5. Upf: grey apical patch. Upf: well marked grey spot in s3. Unf: black spot in s3. Unh: grey dusting denser below the cell. ♀♀ Pieris brassicae Size:distinctly larger. Upf: apical border reaching v3 or lower. Upf: extensive black border, pointed apex. Upf: two strong, intense black spots. Upf: strongly black dusted internal margin. Unf: apical border reaching v3. Unh: powdered with dark scales. Pieris ergane Size:smaller Pieris. Upf: square apical patch. Upf: grey apical patch. Upf: 2 strongly marked grey spots. Upf: strongly grey dusted internal margin. Unf: no black spot in s3. Unh: extensive grey dusting in basal area. Pieris rapae Size:similar to slightly larger Pieris. Upf: apical border reaching v6 or v5. Upf: grey apical patch. Upf: 2 marked grey spots. Unf: black spot in s3. Unh: grey dusting denser below the cell.

Life cycle
Adults: consecutive generations from March to October.
Egg: probably short stage.
Caterpillar: probably short stage.
Pupa: overwintering.

Habitat
Pieris mannii inhabits warm, rough and rocky places with scattered bushes and trees up to 2000 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirment moderate, population density can be high,expanding north- and westwards in NWE.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on a large variety of plants: Aethionema saxatile, Alyssoides utriculata, Aubrieta deltoidea, Aurinia saxatilis, Cardamine impatiens, Diplotaxis sp., Hormathophylla spinosa, many Iberis sp., Kernera saxatilis, Lepidium sp., Lobularia maritima, Peltaria alliacea, Sinapis arvensis and Reseda luteola.
Butterflies feed on a large variety of flowers.

Distribution
Albania: widespread.
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB* - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA* - EEU
Asia Minor and further east.

Conservation status
Pieris mannii is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: NE.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.

Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps

Contact