Zerene cesonia, the southern dogface, is a North and South American butterfly in the family Pieridae, subfamily Coliadinae (until recently the species was sometimes placed in the related genus Colias instead of Zerene). Females have yellow hindwings during the summer, and pink-tinted hindwings during the winter. © 2020 WILD SKY MEDIA. Kids love seeing the little dog picture on this insect’s forewings. The Southern dogface is often mistaken for the cloudless sulphur butterfly when viewed from the side, but the cloudless sulphur lacks the pattern found on the Southern dogface. Other Missouri sulphurs may have some black marks on the forewing edges, but never in the shape of a dog’s head.
The California dogface butterfly, also called "dog-head butterfly," is found only in California.
The California dogface is a butterfly from the large Pieridae family, with their characteristic bright yellow and orange coloration. Caterpillars eat wildflowers in the legume family, including purple prairie clover, lead plant, false indigo, indigo bush, alfalfa, soy bean, and various clovers. The Southern dogface butterfly is approximately 2 to 3 inches long when the wings are unfolded. In most of the summer, the undersides are a bright, clear yellow. This stage lasts for about two weeks. Facts About the Moths That Live in the Tundra, The Types of Caterpillars Found in New York State.
California Dogface Butterfly Pupa c1.staticflickr.com. We protect and manage the fish, forest, and wildlife of the state. California Dogface Butterfly Caterpillar socalbutterflies.com. The epithet ‘dogface’ comes from a wing pattern in the male that resembles a silhouette of a dog’s head. The pattern is so bold, you can see it as the insect flutters around, and even though these butterflies always rest with wings closed, you can usually see the distinctive pattern through from the other side. Like all butterflies, they start a eggs, hatch into caterpillars and grow, then pupate and emerge as a mature, winged adult. More than 700 species in North America north of Mexico, Southern_Dogface_Pale_Purple_Coneflower_7-1994.jpg, Southern_Dogface_Pale_Purple_Coneflower_7-1994_bright_sun.jpg, Southern_Dogface_on_purple_coneflower_08-1994.jpg, Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants. Through most of the summer, the undersides of southern dogfaces are a bright, clear yellow. PART OF WILD SKY MEDIA | FAMILY & PARENTING, Butterflies and Moths of North America: Southern Dogface, Florida Wildflowers and Butterflies: Southern Dogface, The Types of Flying Squirrels Found in California. In 1977, a 13-cent postal stamp of the California dogface butterfly was released in the US, a specimen of which is still in the National Postal Museum. The female California dogface has just one color – pale cream – on all its four wings, and a small black dot on each. The southern dogface does not survive Missouri winters, so the species repopulates our state each year as southern populations expand their range northward starting each spring. Females deposit eggs singly, on the undersides of leaves, on suitable host plants. The California dogface is a butterfly from the large Pieridae family, with their characteristic bright yellow and orange coloration. Larvae are hairless and green, with wrinkles encircling the segments, and marked at regular intervals with yellowish, or yellow and black crossbands; a yellow, orange and/or black lengthwise stripe runs along each side above the legs. Plants in the pea family host larval caterpillars, which eat the leaves until they are ready to pupate. It is easily distinguished by the dog-face pattern on its yellow forewings. Southern dogfaces occur in a variety of open, fairly dry areas, ranging from prairies and pastures, to roadsides, pastures, and overgrown fields, to open woodlands. Even when the wings are closed, you can usually see the pattern from the outside. Facts About the Migration of the Ulysses Butterfly, How Does a Praying Mantis Camouflage Into an Environment. The arthropod is endemic only to … Exclusively found throughout the state of California, Mostly prefer the foothill regions, chaparral, oak or coniferous woodlands, Birds, frogs, toads, snakes, lizards, ants, wasps, etc. When the wings are folded or viewed from the side, the forewing has a black dot and irregular border of black or dark brown. The southern dogface is one of several members of the sulphurs and whites family that occurs in Missouri. Black markings reduced and less intense in females.
These living jewels have tiny, overlapping scales that cover their wings like shingles. It is common in the southwest U.S. but less common in the north and east. Several types of butterflies and moths are zapped by cold weather each year and repopulate our state each growing season. Butterflies, skippers, and moths belong to an insect order called the Lepidoptera — the "scale-winged" insects. The southern dogface has a dog’s head pictured on its upperside forewings. It is easily distinguished by the dog-face pattern on its yellow forewings. The characteristic dogface pattern is seen from above, and sometimes from below. California dogface butterflies are said to be easily attracted to purple flowers. Adults visit flowers for nectar and also take moisture and minerals from puddles and other wet ground.
In years past it was a rare sight in California and Wisconsin, but recently more frequent sightings have been reported. Open pine forests and scrub oak forests are also popular habitats for these butterflies. The southern dogface does not survive Missouri winters, so the species repopulates our state each year from the south. Required fields are marked *. . Color and Appearance: When the wings are open, the dorsal side of the forewings displays an iridescent bluish-black color with peach to pinkish markings, while the hind wings are orange and sulfur-yellow in color. When the wings are closed, the ventral sides display almost the same patterns as the dorsal sides, though a bit paler. Your email address will not be published. Be Her Village. The Southern dogface butterfly adapted easily to human encroachment on its natural prairie and grassland habitat by turning to field-cultivated plants and roadside plants for sustenance. It may occasionally be found in the northern portion of the United States, especially during years with mild winters. It is plentiful throughout the world.
When they complete their larval stage, they turn into a chrysalis, hanging from fine silk threads. The California dogface butterfly or dog head, (Zerene eurydice,) was designated California official State Insect in 1972. In late summer and fall, the undersides are colored with pink. Grunert earned her Master of Arts in writing from Queens College and a Master of Science in direct and interactive marketing from New York University.
Males perch and wait for females to come near. Southern dogface butterflies are easily spotted along the sides of highways and roads, especially during hot, dry summer months. Eggs are targeted by smaller predators, Typical host plant of the caterpillar is False Indigo (. The wings are sharply pointed.
Summer breeding resident only, with two broods in the Ozarks, and probably only one in northern Missouri. The arthropod is endemic only to the US state of California. It is also similar to the clouded sulphur, but is slightly larger and has wings with a different shape and a border. . The butterfly has been the state insect of the U.S. state of California since 1972, while it was the first US state to declare a ‘state insect’. If you look carefully at this butterfly’s wing shape, you will also see that the forewing tip is slightly falcate (pointed and curved outward).
Other examples include the sachem (a common skipper), and the ailanthus webworm moth. The Southern dogface butterfly is approximately 2 to 3 inches long when the wings are unfolded.
thewhitebutterflyfund.files.wordpress.com. Southern dogface butterflies seek nectar sources among field grasses and prairie plants, especially alfalfa. The caterpillar is bright green with light to distinct horizontal white to pale green stripes, often with black borders, all over the body. What Kind of Butterfly Comes Out of a Green Cocoon? The California dogface butterflies fly so rapidly that it is almost a challenge to click a photograph of these insects with wings open. Some people think that the ‘face’ looks like a poodle’s. Two color forms occur. The male has markings on its wings resembling a silhouette of a dog's head. A southern species — whose yearlong territory ranges from South America north to southern Texas and Florida — the southern dogface repopulates much of our continent each year, sometimes reaching into Canada. In late summer and fall, the undersides are colored with a pink mottling along the margins and some of the veins. The pattern is so bold, you can see it as the insect flutters around, and even though these butterflies always rest with wings closed, you can usually see the distinctive pattern through from the other side. In the Ozarks, it usually is present long enough to have at least two broods before all individuals (including eggs, caterpillars, and pupae) are killed by freezing temperatures in late autumn. The Southern dogface butterfly prefers open fields and low-growth woodland areas. The female is usually solid yellow with a black spot on each upper wing. The scales, whether muted or colorful, seem dusty if they rub off on your fingers.
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The butterfly is found only in California from the foothills of the Sierra Nevada to the Coast Ranges and from Sonoma south to San Diego. Prairies and prairie hillsides provide ideal habitats as well.
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Empower Her. Male California Dogface Butterfly socalbutterflies.com, Female California Dogface Butterfly c1.staticflickr.com, Average wingspan: 2 to 2½ inches (5.1 – 6.3 cm), Flight pattern: Very fast flying and difficult to approach or catch unless feeding on flower nectar, California Dogface Butterfly Eggs c1.staticflickr.com, Eye- or paddy-shaped eggs with a yellowish to bright orange coloration, laid one at a time, California Dogface Butterfly Pictures i.pinimg.com, California Dogface Butterfly Habitat ucanr.edu, California Dogface Butterfly Images aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu, California Dogface Butterfly Host Plant thewhitebutterflyfund.files.wordpress.com, Your email address will not be published. Shape The World. California Dogface Butterfly i.pinimg.com. Jeanne Grunert has been a writer since 1990. All rights reserved. and butterfly markings.