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Digital Guide to Moth Identification

Pieridae
77a0436 – 4229   Phoebis philea (Linnaeus, 1763)
Distribution Data for Phoebis philea
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Larva and
Host Plants:
Host familiy: Fabaceae.  Host genera: Acacia[unresolved] Aeschynomene Albizia Caesalpinia Cassia Coronilla Medicago Pithecellobium Senna.  Notes: larvae prefer to eat flowers, but eat leaves too (Scott 2020); Psidium-NOT (Beccaloni et al 2008).  (Shropshire & Douglas 2025)
Similar Species:
  • Pinned specimens of related species. (Hint: select View by Region on the related species page.)
Synonymy:
  • philea (Linnaeus, 1763) (Papilio) - MONA 1983: 4229
  • philea (Linnaeus, 1763) (Papilio)
  • alamacho Scott, 1981 (Phoebis)
  • alba Scott, 1986 (Phoebis)
  • androchroma Bryk, 1953 (Phoebis)
  • aricye (Cramer, [1776]) (Papilio)
  • corday (Hübner, [1819]) (Colias)
  • crema Scott, 1981 (Phoebis)
  • inornata Dufrane, 1947 (Phoebis)
  • irma (Krüger, 1929) (Catopsilia)
  • lollia (Godart, 1819) (Colias)
  • melanippe (Stoll, in: Cramer, [1781]) (Papilio)
  • obsoleta (Niepelt, 1920) (Catopsilia)
  • References (Caution: DNA barcoding at BOLD provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; some BOLD specimens shown may not be sequenced.)
    • Barcode of Life (BOLD) - Caution: Identifications often erroneous; DNA barcode provides evidence of relatedness, not proof of identification; many specimens not sequenced.
    • Shropshire, K.J. & D.W. Tallamy, 2025. Lepidoptera of North America, north of Mexico: an annotated list containing geographic ranges and host-plant records. ZooKeys, 1261: 101-113; Suppl. 1. (PDF or read online)
    • Species Page at BugGuide.Net
    • Species Page at iNaturalist
    • Species Page at the Butterflies of America
    Phoebis philea
    © Tom Bentley


    Moth Photographers Group  at the  Mississippi Entomological Museum  at the  Mississippi State University

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