Leptidea reali
| Réal's wood white | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Pieridae |
| Genus: | Leptidea |
| Species: | L. reali
|
| Binomial name | |
| Leptidea reali Reissinger 1989[1]
| |
Leptidea reali, the Réal's wood white, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae.
Taxonomy
A 2011 study using karyotype analysis and analysis of mitochondrial nuclear DNA markers concluded that Leptidea reali is one of three members of a cryptic species complex which also includes Leptidea sinapis and a new species Leptidea juvernica.[2]
Distribution
Leptidea reali is known to occur in Spain, Italy and southern France.[2] L. reali was formerly thought to occur in Ireland[3] but this population is now known to be L. juvernica.[4] Since the three species look and behave similarly, further research is needed to discover their true distribution; indeed on the continent the current known distribution of L. reali is suspiciously patchy. L. reali can be separated from L. sinapis by analysis of the male genital morphology, but it cannot be reliably separated this way from L. juvernica.[2]
Field lepidopterists have reported behavioural differences between L. reali and L. sinapis with Réal's being described as a stronger flier and with a preference for more open habitats.[5]
Life cycle and food plants
The life cycle, flight period and food plants appear at present to be similar to the wood white.
References
- ^ Reissinger (E.), 1989. Checkliste Pieride Duponchel, 1835 der Westpalaearctis, Atalanta, 20, pp. 149-185
- ^ a b c Dincă, Vlad; Lukhtanov, Vladimir A.; Talavera, Gerard; Vila, Roger (30 April 2011). "Unexpected layers of cryptic diversity in wood white Leptidea butterflies". Nature Communications. 2: 324. Bibcode:2011NatCo...2..324D. doi:10.1038/NCOMMS1329. PMID 21610727.
- ^ "Réal's Wood White". National Museums Northern Ireland. Retrieved 22 June 2010.
- ^ Nelson, B., Hughes, M. (2011). "The distribution of Leptidea sinapis (Linnaeus, 1758) and L. reali Reissinger, 1989 (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) in Ireland". Entomologist's Gazette. 62: 213–233.
- ^ Barkham, Patrick (2010). The Butterfly Isles. London: Granta. ISBN 978-1-84708-127-8.
- David Tomlinson & Rob Sill Britain's Butterflies Wild Guides
- Nelson, B., Hughes M., Nash, R. and Warren, M.S., 2001 Leptidea reali Reissinger 1989 a butterfly species new to Britain and Ireland. Entomologist's Record and Journal of Variation 113: 97-101.
- Nash, R., Hughes, M., Nelson, B., and Warren, M., 2001 Real's Wood White Leptidea reali Reissinger, 1989 A Butterfly new to Britain and Ireland Atropos 14: 12-15.
External links
- Butterfly Conservation Ireland Summary of the sinapis cryptic species complex.