Pioneer white

Distribution

The species lives in Sri Lanka, the Himalayas from Kashmir to Sikkim at elevations below 6,000 feet, and through the plains to southern India. In the Nilgiris observed up to 8,000 feet. To the west it spreads through Persia and Arabia to East Africa. The species occurs over the greater part of Sub-Saharan Africa.

Behavior

Food plants of the larvae include "Capparis zeylanica". In Africa, the host plants are almost exclusively from the family Capparaceae and in particular the genera "Boscia", "Maerua" and "Capparis". Eggs are laid in batches of 20 or so, while the newly hatched larvae are gregarious.

Reproduction

When hatched a line long, olive colour, with a distinct glossy jet-black head. After first moult. One fourth inch long; grass-green; dorsal line very distinct, dark green; lateral line very broad, plum-coloured and mottled, dentated into the ground-colour, on the last two segments on its upperside; a small white spot on either side of dorsal line on each segment; a yellow spot on each segment on the lateral line on either side; abdomen glossy green; ventral line distinct, rather interrupted, grass-green; all the legs green, hairy; head shiny black with a green triangular mark in front, covered with stiff whitish hairs; stigmata dark-coloured; sides greyish green, slightly wrinkled transversely; the portion of ground-colour between lateral and dorsal line slightly powdered with yellow; hair whitish grey; anal segment black and hairy; first segment rather swollen in front. After last moult length 1.25 inch long; cylindrical, broader towards the head, slightly tomentose on back, hairy on the sides; otherwise as after first moult. Food plant, the pea-leaved caper.— Capt. H. L. Chaumette quoted in Moore and republished by Bingham 1907