Pyrisitia nise, the mimosa yellow, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found from Argentina north to the Texas Gulf Coast and throughout central and southern Florida, northward to the Tennessee Valley. It is an occasional stray to central Texas and south-eastern Arizona and rarely to southern California, southern Colorado and Kansas. The habitat consists of brushy woodland edges.[2]
Pyrisitia nise | |
---|---|
Pyrisitia nise nise, Jamaica | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Lepidoptera |
Family: | Pieridae |
Genus: | Eurema |
Species: | E. nise
|
Binomial name | |
Eurema nise | |
Synonyms | |
|
The wingspan is 29–51 mm (1.1–2.0 in). Both sexes are yellow. The upperside of the forewing has narrow black outer edges. Black margins of the hindwing are uncommon in males, but always absent in females. Adults are on wing from May to August in southern Florida, September to November in southern Texas and all year round in the tropics. Adults feed on flower nectar.[2]
The larvae feed on Mimosa pudica.[2]
Subspecies
editThe following subspecies are recognized:[1]
- P. n. nise (Jamaica)
- P. n. stygma (Boisduval, 1836) (Peru, Ecuador)
- P. n. tenella (Boisduval, 1836) (Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, Argentina, Paraguay)
- P. n. larae (Herrich-Schäffer, 1862) (Cuba)
- P. n. nelphe (R. Felder, 1869) (Mexico, Panama)
- P. n. floscula (Weeks, 1901) (Bolivia, Argentina, Peru)
References
edit